Machine learning methods and systems for managing retail store processes involving the automatic gathering of items

ABSTRACT

Devices, systems, and method are provided for processing requests for items to be pre-gathered from a store, the processing of the requests is executed using one or more processing entities. One method includes receiving tracking data from portable device associated with a user having an online account with the store. One or more items are identified from a shopping list of the user as associated with the online account of the store. Processing the tracking data is made to determine a current route of the portable device to the store. Sending instructions is processed to create a task for pre-gathering one or more items from the store. The sending of instructions is triggered in response to confirming that the current route of the portable device remains headed to the store. The method also includes receiving an indicator that the one or more items from the store have been gathered. The method causes the sending of a notification to the online account of the user that a package of said one or more items from the store that were ordered have been gathered and are ready for pickup at the store.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This Application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/859,627, filed on Dec. 31, 2017, entitled “DEVICES FOR TRACKINGRETAIL INTERACTIONS WITH GOODS AND ASSOCIATION TO USER ACCOUNTS FORCASHIER-LESS TRANSACTIONS,” which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/376,636, filed on Dec. 12, 2016, entitled“WIRELESS CODED COMMUNICATION (WCC) DEVICES FOR TRACKING RETAILINTERACTIONS WITH GOODS AND ASSOCIATION TO USER ACCOUNTS,” which is acontinuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/217,972,filed on Jul. 23, 2016, entitled “WIRELESS CODED COMMUNICATION (WCC)DEVICES WITH ENERGY HARVESTING POWER SOURCES TRIGGERED WITH INCIDENTALMECHANICAL FORCES,” which claims priority from U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 62/197,003, filed on Jul. 25, 2015, and entitled“WIRELESS CODED COMMUNICATION (WCC) DEVICES AND METHODS, SYSTEMS,DEVICES USING OR IMPLEMENTING WCC DEVICES,” which are incorporatedherein by reference.

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/217,972, filed on Jul. 23, 2016claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/387,403,filed on Dec. 24, 2015, and entitled “SIGNALING SYSTEMS FOR WIRELESSCODED COMMUNICATION (WCC) DEVICES AND CONNECTED DEVICES,” which are bothincorporated by reference for all purposes.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This Application is related to:

(1) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/217,973, filed on Jul. 23, 2016,entitled “Wireless Coded Communication (WCC) Devices with EnergyHarvesting Power Sources used in Switches,”

(2) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/217,974, filed on Jul. 23, 2016,entitled “Wireless Coded Communication (WCC) Devices with EnergyHarvesting Power Sources for Processing Biometric Identified Functions,”

(3) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/217,975, filed on Jul. 23, 2016,entitled “Wireless Coded Communication (WCC) Devices with EnergyHarvesting Power Sources for Wi-Fi Communication,”

(4) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/217,976, filed on Jul. 23, 2016,entitled “Wireless Coded Communication (WCC) Devices with EnergyHarvesting Power Sources For Processing Internet Purchase Transactions,”

(5) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/217,977, filed on Jul. 23, 2016,entitled “Wireless Coded Communication (WCC) Devices with EnergyHarvesting Power Sources For Monitoring State Data of Objects,” whichare all incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments are described regarding devices that transmit data,including those that may also sense input, produce output, receive,process and exchange data with end-nodes or networks of end-nodes. Someof the embodiments described herein relate to retail implementations. Insuch retail implementations, items may be sold to users that simply walkin, select an item or items, and then walk out without stopping at acash register. Systems associated with a store can include a pluralityof sensors of various types, which are used to identify various things,such as user identification, user interaction with items, confirmationthat a user actually took an item off a shelf, confirmation that theitem is not later dropped off in some other location if the user changeshis or her mind, and adding of the item or items to a shopping cartmanaged by an online application, e.g., cloud, and then transactingpayments for items confirmed to have been purchased. In someembodiments, the methods include instructions that are generated toenable pre-gathering of items from a store, for a user.

BACKGROUND

Over the years, there has been much advancement in the area ofprocessing devices and devices that communicate over networks. Forexample, electronic devices are typically designed for specificapplications. Some devices are more versatile, such as the common daysmartphone or general purpose computers. These devices, althoughversatile and sometimes powerful, require network connections to sendand receive data. Network connections, for example, are those providedby internet service providers (ISPs). Such connections can be obtainedfor private use, e.g., homes and businesses, and some can be obtained inpublic places. In either form, users are required to setup connectionsor initiate connections, e.g., to the Internet, via their devices andinterfaces, before access is enabled.

As a result, devices provided with network access to exchange data mustcontend with setup procedures for obtaining access, must provideinterfaces for managing setups, and must also provide sufficient powerto process data and perform the communication. These typicalrequirements are, unfortunately, impediments to the simplification ofdevices that could benefit from data exchanges over networks. It is inthis context that a need is present for embodiments described in thisdisclosure.

SUMMARY

The embodiments described herein relate to communications devices,communication methods, and methods for utilizing digital detection,sensing and tracking systems to determine interactions with retailitems, in order to enable processing of cashier-less purchasetransactions. In one embodiment, method are provided to enable trackingof items in a store, and detect interactions with said items using oneor more sensors. The interactions may be identified and classified, inorder to determine if the user is intending to purchase the item andenabling charging of the user's account. In various embodimentsdescribed herein, a smart retail outlet is capable of classifyingshopping activity for one or more shoppers into one or more categories,where upon a determination that a user fits in any particular category,or changes category, an action can be taken to dynamically respond tothe state of the shopper. Described herein, a store tracks the taking ofitems into the possession of the shopper as well as the detection ofreturning items to the shelf, and is able to characterize themisplacement of returned items to the wrong shelves. In one embodiment,machine learning algorithms are used to predict a shopping list for ashopper. In one configuration, a retail outlet uses a mix of input datawith machine learning model to classify shopping behavior and trackevents such as takes and returns and enables a family or group ofshoppers to participate in the taking and returning of items to a singleshopping account. Furthermore, the present invention includes capabilityto make a determination of the identity of each shopper taking orreturning items from the shelf even when multiple shoppers are proximateto the shelf and interacting with the shelf at the same time.

In some embodiments, a method includes processing of tracking dataincludes accessing a deep learning model using feature input of at leastuser location and shopping history, where the feature input includestime-based actions characterizing previous user shopping history andglobal positioning system data enabled by the user to allowidentification of a location of the user based on location data receivedfrom the portable device.

In some embodiments, the current route of the portable device is anactual or predicted path in which the user is expected to travel fromone location to a location of the store, wherein the predicted path isdetermined using global positioning system (GPS) dead reckoning or GPSand machine learning to classify that the current route of the portabledevice of the user remains headed to the store.

In some embodiments, the instructions to create the task forpre-gathering the items includes an identification of items from theshopping list and a time frame in which the user is expected to enterthe store or in which the user will receive one or more of said itemsafter entering the store.

In some embodiments, a trigger in sending of instructions is made basedon (A) a calculation of expected time required to gather one or more ofthe items, and (B) a forecasted future time in which the user willeither arrive at the store or require the one or more items to be readyfor pickup

In some embodiments, the user remains headed to the store if the currentroute based on received and processed global positioning system (GPS)data of the portable device is on a course headed to the store and atleast one processing entity associated with the store has not otherwisereceived data indicating that the user is not planning to visit or notlikely to visit or plans to visit the store at a different time.

In some embodiments, the indicator is a payload, or a signal or anotification on the portable device or a device of the user that isassociated with the user account, or is output on an in-store device oroutput by the store stating that one or more items are ready for pickup.

In some embodiments, the indicator is a state received by at least oneof said processing entities in connection with a status of the task anda description of one or more items that have been gathered from theshopping list.

In some embodiments, the indicator is an actual receipt of thepre-gathered items.

In some embodiments, items ready for pickup are identified forcollection when the user enters the store, or after having arrived atthe store, or prior to exiting the store.

In some embodiments, the items that are ready for pickup are assignedfor delivery to the user upon entering the store, or after havingarrived at the store, or prior to exiting the store.

In some embodiments, the items that are pre-gathered are onespre-designated on the user's shopping list, or are a subset of ones onthe user's shopping list or are identified as suitable items for theuser to purchase in connection with analyzing the user shopping list oruser shopping history or data from at least one processing entitycapable of keeping track of a consumption or use of items associatedwith the user.

In some embodiments, an item that is pre-gathered or scheduled to bepre-gathered is removed from the shopping list or identified on theshopping list as being gathered.

In some embodiments, the user remains headed to the store based onreceipt of data from the portable device of the user or a processingentity associated with the user indicating confirmation or predictionthat the user remains headed to the store or intends to head to thestore.

In some embodiments, at least one or more of the said identified item oritems on the shopping list are automatically identified by a deeplearning model that predicts that one or more items are likely to bepurchased by the user.

In some embodiments, the store is further configured with trackingsensors, said tracking sensors being in communication with at least oneof said processing entities for monitoring interaction data between theuser and one or more items in the store, said one or more processingentities examining the interaction data to determine if the user hastaken an item that was already pre-gathered, and, if the processingentity determines the user has taken the item that was alreadypre-gathered, sending a guidance message to the portable device of theuser, or to a store speaker, or to a display, or to a store assetproximate the user.

In some embodiments, the store is further configured with trackingsensors, said tracking sensors being in communication with at least oneof said processing entities for monitoring a location of the user in thestore, wherein at least one of said processing entities sends a wirelessmessage containing a payload to a device in the store operated by aclerk in the store indicating a location of the user in the store,wherein the package of said one or more items from the store that wereordered and gathered are delivered to the user by the clerk at a currentlocation of the user in the store.

In some embodiments, the store is further configured with trackingsensors, said tracking sensors being in communication with at least oneof said processing entities for monitoring a location of the user in thestore, wherein at least one of said processing entities provide thelocation of the user in the store to a robot, said robot having coupledthereto a package of said one or more items from the store that wereordered and gathered, where said robot delivers the items to a currentlocation of the user in the store.

In some embodiments, the store is further configured with trackingsensors, said tracking sensors being in communication with at least oneof said processing entities for monitoring a changing location of theuser inside the store as well processing interaction data as inputfeatures to a machine learning model processed by at least one of saidprocessing entities to classify an action of the user taking a specificitem off a shelf, said at least one of said processing entities alsoaccess the user account to select additional items that have not beendetected to have been taken by the user, said additional items arepre-gathered for the user, selection of items being based in part on apath of the user in the store.

In some embodiments, the selection of items to be pre-gathered is basedon said path the user is moving through the store, a time allocation theuser has in the store, or a preference of the user, or a promotion ofthe store.

In some embodiments, the store is further configured with trackingsensors, said tracking sensors being in communication with at least oneof said processing entities for monitoring a changing location of theuser inside the store and providing navigation guidance to an asset inthe store or to the portable device of the user, said guidance aidingthe user in traversing through the store along a navigation path throughisles that contain one or more items on the shopping list of the useraccount, said at least one of said processing entities further accessingthe user account to select additional items that will be pre-gatheredfor the user, the selection of items being based in part on a path theuser moves within the store, or location of other users in the store, oron an amount of time.

In some embodiments, each of said one or more processing entities isdefined by a computer, or a server, or a Lambda function process, or afunction, or a process, or a service, or a container, or a containerprocess, or a cloud processing system, or a smartphone, or a tablet, ora laptop, or a smart device, or a smart watch, or an internet of things(JOT) device, or a smart watch, or a router, or an access point, or arepeater, or a vehicle, or a camera, or a weight sensor, or anappliance, or lighting equipment, or a switch, or a containerapplication, or an application, or a wireless coded communication (WCC)device, or a state machine, or by a stateless service, or a combinationof two or more thereof,

wherein each one of said one or more processing entities is coupled toor interconnected to a network that provides access to storage, data, orinstructions.

In some embodiments, confirming that the current route of the portabledevice remains headed to the store includes receiving information fromthe user account, as provided by the user, that the user is headed tothe store at a particular time or is currently headed to the store.

In one embodiment, a method is provided for processing requests foritems to be pre-gathered from a store. The processing of the requests isexecuted using one or more processing entities. One method includesreceiving tracking data from portable device associated with a userhaving an online account with the store. One or more items areidentified from a shopping list of the user as associated with theonline account of the store. Processing the tracking data is made todetermine a current route of the portable device to the store. Sendinginstructions is processed to create a task for pre-gathering one or moreitems from the store. The sending of instructions is triggered inresponse to confirming that the current route of the portable deviceremains headed to the store. The method also includes receiving anindicator that the one or more items from the store have been gathered.The method causes the sending of a notification to the online account ofthe user that a package of said one or more items from the store thatwere ordered have been gathered and are ready for pickup at the store.

In one embodiment, a method includes identifying a shopper in a storeusing sensors and associating the shopper to a shopping account.Monitoring the shopper in the store using one or more sensors, andoutput of the one or more sensors is an input to one or more deeplearning models that generate classification data in connection with ascenario. The method includes receiving natural language voice inputcontaining words spoken from the shopper. And, processing the voiceinput along with the classification data to generate a response to thewords spoken by said shopper. The response is made in a context of thescenario.

In some embodiments, the one or more sensors used for monitoring theshopper are associated with the store and coordinated to identifymovement of the shopper while in the store and movement of the shopperrelative to one or more items located in the store, and the scenario isassociated with actions by the shopper in relation to one or more ofsaid items and said movements of the shopper identified by the one ormore sensors, and said response is in context of the scenario.

In some embodiments, the one or more sensors used for monitoring theshopper are associated with the store and coordinated to identifyinteraction of the shopper with said one or more items located in thestore, the scenario is associated with said interactions by the shopperin relation to one or more of said items, and said response is incontext of the interactions that relate to the scenario.

In some embodiments, the response is configured to dynamically changebased on changes in said interactions by the shopper in relation to saidone or more of said items as the shopper is detected to move about thestore, wherein movement of the shopper about the store places the userproximate to or further from specific ones of said items.

In some embodiments, said response includes guidance information thatcommunicates directions to the shopper for movement toward a specificitem or groups of items and in some cases beam forming is used in acapture of audio.

In some embodiments, the guidance includes one of more of directions tomove a view of the shopper toward a direction or directions for theshopper to move to another location within the store in which thespecific item or groups of items are located.

In some embodiments, the classification data includes an indication thatthe shopper has taken an item from a shelf of the store, or has returnedan item from the shelf, or is gazing in a particular direction, or isgazing toward a particular product, or has a type of sentiment, or hasperformed a gesture, or is searching for a product, or is interactingwith a mobile or wearable device.

In some embodiments, devices are integrated with a wirelesscommunication chip and integrated power generating or delivering device.In one embodiment, these devices are referred to herein as wirelesscoded communication (WCC) device. Such devices are configured to harnesspower to cause or enable activation of a communication device totransmit data. The data can be pre-configured or coded to reportoccurrence of an event, log an event, log state, cause an action, send amessage or request data from one or more end nodes. In some embodiments,the devices enable communication over a wireless network, which enablesaccess to the Internet and further enables cloud processing on datareceived or processing for data returned or communicated.

Broadly speaking, a WCC device is one that has or is coupled with awireless transmission capability (e.g., a transmitter, a transceiver,Wi-Fi chip, Bluetooth chip, radio communication chip, etc.), and a powerpump or a power supply.

In one embodiment, a method for tracking items in a physical store forprocessing cashier-less purchase transactions is provided. The methodincludes detecting a portable wireless coded communication (WCC) devicein the physical store. The WCC device is associated with an on-lineaccount of a shopper. Then, receiving, by a server, sensor dataregarding the WCC device, its location in the physical store andproximity to items in the physical store. The method includes receiving,by the server, interaction data of an item on a shelf of the physicalstore by the shopper using one or more sensors of the physical store andthe WCC device to determine that the item is one targeted for purchase.The interaction data is configured to identify a type of said item andadd it to an electronic shopping cart of the shopper having the on-lineaccount for processing said cashier-less purchase transactions. Themethod further includes processing, by the server, an electronic chargeto a payment service of the shopper for the item. The WCC device may bea portable device of the user, and an application for said cashier-lesspurchase transactions can be run by the WCC device or portable device ofthe user.

In one configuration, a power pump device is configured to receive aforce or movement input from a user or object. The force can be a directforce that is intentionally input by the user, e.g., by pushing abutton, moving a slider, lifting a tab, shifting a lever, etc. Anothertype of force is an indirect force, which is one that the user is notintending to provide. Instead, force is created when the user moves,opens, lifts, shifts, closes, or somehow changes the position ororientation of a physical object.

For example only, a physical object may be a door, and closing of thedoor is the intent of the user. In some embodiments, the physical objectmay be a store shelf, a store item on a shelf, e.g., retail store andretail items. The indirect force of closing the door is then, in oneembodiment, transferred as force to a WCC device. As such, even thoughthe user did not have intent to provide input or force to the WCCdevice, the WCC device received the force. In the case of a batteryoperated WCC, the WCC device could also receive the input indirectly.That is, when the door is closed, an input trigger or sensor can be setor impacted or triggered, and this input to the WCC device isincidental. The input is then used to activate a process of the WCCdevice and to automatically transmit data or request data wirelesslyover a network.

In one embodiment, a method for tracking items in a store for processingcashier-less purchase transactions is provided. The method includesreceiving, by a server, sensor data regarding items associated withshelves of a store, and receiving, by the server, interaction data of anitem of a shelf of the store by a user. The interaction data isconfigured to identify a type of said item and add it to an electronicshopping cart of the user, if a take event is confirmed. The useraccount is used for processing said cashier-less purchase transactions.The embodiment includes receiving, by the server, data indicative ofsaid user leaving an area of the store that is indicative that the userhas purchased the item. The server is configured to process or instructprocessing of an electronic charge to a payment service of the user forthe item upon confirming that said user left the area of the store.

In some embodiments, a volume or area in which the item is located istracked to obtain said interaction data. The interaction data is used todetermine movement or removal of said item from the shelf and determineif a take event has occurred with respect to the item and the item isadded to said electronic shopping cart.

In some embodiments, said movement is identified at least using imagedata from a camera. The camera is configured to produce image data thatis processed as part of said sensor data that is received by saidserver.

In some embodiments, a confidence level of identifying said movement isincreased by using input from one or more other sensors, each sensor isprovided a weighting that gives a respective sensor or sensors more orless significance in said identifying of the movement.

In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving, by a server,data indicative of a user device being present in the store. The datafrom the user device is used to identify the user account of the userfor enabling use of the electronic shopping cart for buying one or moreitems in the store via one of said cashier-less purchase transactions.

In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving, by a server,tracking data regarding movement of the user in the store, the movementof the user is indicative of browsing of said items on one or more ofsaid shelves. The tracking includes tracking a hand of the user, thehand of the user caused by the user to touch, lift, move, and/or removesaid item from the shelf, the hand tracking is further usable as saidinteraction data with the item.

In some embodiments, the method further includes sending, by the server,display information for rendering on a display screen that is proximateto the shelf having the item for which the user is interacting. Thedisplay information is customized for the user based on informationobtained from a profile of the user associated with the user account.

In some embodiments, the method further includes sending, by the server,audio data for outputting from a region of the store that is proximateto the shelf having the item for which the user is interacting, theaudio data being customized for the user based on information obtainedfrom a profile of the user associated with the user account.

In some embodiments, the audio data is configured to be output in adirectional tracking format, the directional tracking format implementsaudio steering to direct said audio data toward a head of the user,wherein said audio steering focuses sound for the user while excludingdistribution of sound substantially beyond the head of the user.

In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving, by theserver, eye or head gaze information of the user. The eye or head gazeinformation is indicative of actions taken by the user with the item forwhich the user is interacting. The eye or head gaze information iscollected to determine product information that is of interest to theuser. The server is configured to collect the product information thatis of interest to the user and using said information to providerecommendations to the user regarding other items that may be ofinterest and/or to provide discount or promotional information for theitem or other items.

In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving, by theserver, first data indicative that a take event occurred for the itemand second data indicative that the item having a tag communicates witha user device of the user. The user device of the user verifying thatthe item was subjected to the take even and was not returned prior tothe user leaving the area of the store before processing the electroniccharge. The user device is configured to communicate with at least onesensor in the store that monitors when the user device is leaving thestore.

In some embodiments, the method further includes receiving, by theserver, proximity data of the user and a second user, the user and thesecond user configured to be proximate to each other near the shelf. Theproximity data of the user and the second user is usable to distinguishthe user and the second user. Cameras are disposed in the store toproduce part of the sensor data, and the cameras producing image datathat is trackable to identify limbs of each of the user and the seconduser, and said limbs trackable in motion and used to verify whether theuser or the second user is interacting with the item on the self.

In some embodiments, the interaction data includes one or more featuresthat are descriptive of detected interaction. The features is processedas inputs to a model that classifies the interaction to be one of a takeevent or a returning event of the item from the shelf or back to theshelf.

In some embodiments, classifying is provided, which uses the model toassists in predicting an action to be taken by the user or other users.The model is one that refines its classification over time based onprior interactions and assists in determining whether to add the item orother items to the electronic shopping cart of the user or other users.

In some embodiments, the classifying uses the model to assist ingenerating recommendations to the user or other users based on learnedlikely actions to be taken by users when interacting with the item oritems, the classifying being a process that continually learns tooptimize the model, and said continual learning uses inputs of featuresfrom the store and/or other stores that are connected to a shoppingservice that enables said cashier-less purchase transactions.

In one embodiment, a method for tracking items in a store for processinga cashier-less purchase transaction is provided. The method includesreceiving sensor data regarding items associated with shelves of astore. The method also includes identifying a user entering the store.The identifying uses at least a device having wireless communication.The device has an application that is executed in associated with a useraccount of the user. Also, tracking the user movements while in thestore. The tracked movements include detecting proximity of the user toa shelf having an item. And, detecting interaction data for the item onthe shelf of the store by the user. The interaction data is configuredto identify a type of said item and enable add said item to anelectronic shopping cart of the user having said user account forenabling processing of said cashier-less purchase transaction. Themethod includes receiving data indicative of said user leaving an areaof the store while the item is in the electronic shopping cart. Leavingis indicative that the user intends to purchase the item. An exit of thearea includes one or more sensors for confirming that the user has leftthe area. The method includes processing an electronic charge to apayment service associated with the user account of the user for theitem based on said confirming.

In one embodiment, if the WCC device uses a power pump, the force orphysical pressure or movement received can be imparted or communicatedto a mechanically flexible device or element. In one embodiment, theflexible element may be a piezoelectric device. A piezoelectric deviceis one that can produce a voltage when the force or movement is impartedto it, and the result is that a voltage is produced. That voltage can beharvested and stored to a storage device. In one embodiment, the storagedevice can be capacitive storage device (e.g., a capacitor). In otherembodiments, the storage device can be a battery or a rechargeablebattery cell or cells. In one implementation, if the storage device is acapacitive storage device, the device will serve as the power source toan integrated circuit of the WCC device.

In one embodiment, the integrated circuit can be programmed tocommunicate data or a code or a message to an end node. The end node canstore the received data or perform an action, e.g., based onpre-programming.

In one embodiment, the device is a wireless coded communication (WCC)device. The WCC device, in one configuration, is passive, in that thedevice is not connected to active power (e.g., a battery or power plug).However, once a force, e.g., mechanical force is applied to the powerpump of the WCC device, the WCC device is activated for a period of timesufficient to process and transmit coded data to the end point orend-node. In some embodiments, a WCC can be programmed with more thanone method or function to perform. For example, the selection of themethod or function can be based on a pre-activation setting. In othercases, a method is automatically selected based on the power available.If more power is available, methods that require more power areperformed. In certain embodiments, an input feature such as a selectioncontrol, switch, slider, touch pad, may be coupled to the WCC, whichgenerate a payload. The payload may be transmitted remotely to an endnode or processed by the WCC locally, or both in part or whole.

In some implementations, functions may be selected and triggeredaccording to results of processing of the payload before, during orafter transmission of the payload. In certain embodiments, the WCCincludes the capability to detect or image the identity or attribute ofa user, a biometric signature, a fingerprint, a voice, a sound, a scene,an object position, QR code, RFID code, barcode, status, temperature,pressure, absence or presence of conditions, environmental condition,vibration, and any signal or source coupled to, near or within sensingrange of one or more sensors coupled to, or integrated with, a WCCdevice.

In other embodiments, devices, systems, and method are provided. Onesuch device is a wireless coded communication (WCC) device, which may beconfigured for wireless communication with other devices, e.g., over anetwork. A WCC device is a type of internet of things (JOT) device thatcan sense data, process data, send data, respond to data requests andexchange data with other WCC device, a network device, a user device,and/or systems over the internet. In some configurations, a WCC devicemay include a power source that enables usage of low power, e.g., tosend data that is sensed, request data and/or communicate datawirelessly. WCC devices maybe function as standalone devices or may beintegrated into other devices. In some configurations, a WCC device mayinclude power harvesting circuitry. A WCC device may be pre-configuredor coded to report occurrence of an event, log an event, log state,cause an action, send a message or request data from one or more endnodes. In some configurations, the devices enable communication over awireless network, which enables access to the Internet and furtherenables cloud processing on data received or processing for datareturned or communicated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention may best be understood by reference to the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1A illustrates an example of a user shopping in a store, inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1B illustrates an example of various types of sensors, andinteractions between a network, and compute entities, in accordance withone embodiment.

FIG. 1C illustrates an example of use of machine learning, in accordancewith one embodiment.

FIG. 1D illustrates one example flowchart, associated with tracking anitem that has been selected by a user for purchase, for a cashier-lessprocess.

FIG. 1E illustrates another example process, which may be processed inorder to determine when an item should be charge to the user, in acashier-less purchase transaction

FIG. 1F illustrates one example embodiment of a WCC device, inaccordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 1G illustrates an example of a WCC device, which includes a fullwave rectifier, in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 2 illustrates another example implementation of a WCC device, inaccordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of program settings, in accordance withone embodiment.

FIG. 4A illustrates another embodiment of a WCC device, in accordancewith some embodiments.

FIG. 4B illustrates another example of a WCC, in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 4C illustrates an example of a WCC device that includes a powersource and a wireless transceiver, and an input for receiving forceinput, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 5A illustrates an example of different types of power sources,which are nonexclusive of other types that are possible, in accordancewith some embodiments.

FIG. 5B illustrates an example of a bridge circuit, in accordance withsome embodiments.

FIG. 6 illustrates another example of a WCC device, which can beprovided with multiple button presses or different numbers of physicalinputs to provide input or charge a power storage device of the WCC, orboth, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 7 illustrates another embodiment of a WCC integrated into a device,such as a key fob, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example where a WCC device can be programmed, inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 9 shows another example of receiving program in the IC inoperation, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 10 illustrates another example where program settings can be set ata website or on a mobile application, in accordance with someembodiments.

FIGS. 11A-11B illustrate examples of a WCC device that is integratedwith a wall switch or other locations, in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 12A illustrates a general, exaggerated and unscaled, examplediagram of one of many potential charging and consumption profiles thatmay be achieved when charging a power storage cell of a WCC device, whenthe WCC device includes a power pump, in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 12B illustrates another example similar to FIG. 12A, where a powerpump may be used to charge a storage cell, such as one that can storepower in a capacitive form, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 12C illustrates an example where a WCC device can be programmed orset to operate a mode 3 program, which requires power 3, in accordancewith some embodiments.

FIG. 13A illustrates an example of a WCC device, associated with a localproximity, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 13B illustrates an example where a WCC device can communicatewirelessly to a connected node, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 13C illustrates another example where a WCC device can communicatedirectly to an end node, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 14 illustrates an example of the use of a WCC device, in accordancewith one embodiment.

FIG. 15 illustrates an example of a doorway that includes the door andhinges, to illustrate one example of a WCC, in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 16 illustrates an example of a hinged box, which may include ahinge, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 17 illustrates an example of the power tool, each may implement aWCC device, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 18 illustrates an example of a WCC device, which can be in the formof a handheld fob, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 19 illustrates another example of a WCC device, which can alsoinclude a display, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 20 illustrates an example of program code, which can be dynamicallyselected by a user, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 21 illustrates an example of the WCC device which may also includea button that includes a biometric sensor, in accordance with someembodiments.

FIGS. 22A-22F illustrates various examples of communications between aWCC device and various nodes over one or more networks or directlybetween nodes, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 23 illustrates an example of a WCC device utilized by a user totake a picture, and communicate the picture to end node, in accordancewith some embodiments.

FIG. 24 illustrates another embodiment of the WCC device, in accordancewith one embodiment of the present disclosure, in accordance with someembodiments.

FIGS. 25A-25D illustrate other example uses of WCC devices 100, inaccordance with one embodiment

FIGS. 26A-E illustrate various examples of WCC devices that can beintegrated into various objects or things, in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 27 illustrates an example of a wall switch utilize to turn power onand off in a specific room or light fixture, in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 28 illustrates an example of a vending machine, which may have ascreen, selection input buttons, a slider for dispensing, and multiplesensors, in accordance with one embodiment.

FIGS. 29A-B illustrate examples of retail objects that may be stored onshelves, such as store shelves, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 30 illustrates an example of a home, which may include a number ofWCC devices integrated into various components, objects, things, andwireless communication to a router, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 31 illustrates a bicycle which may include a WCC device, inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 32A illustrates the use of a WCC device for a user, such asintegration into an ID badge, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 32B illustrates another embodiment where a WCC device can beattached to the user in a necklace format, in accordance with someembodiments.

FIGS. 33a-33e illustrates another embodiment for use of WCC device, inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 34A illustrates an example of a user interfacing with the WCCterminal, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 34B illustrates one example of WCC terminal, in accordance with oneembodiment, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 34C illustrates a different type of display, which can be pressedat different locations to activate the energy harvesting and alsoactivate retrieval of information associated with the option, inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 34D shows another option of a WCC terminal, which includes arotating knob, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 35A-35C illustrate examples of a WCC terminal, with a displayscreen and an outer shell that can be rotated, while leaving the screenin its present nonmoving position, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 36A as an example of the WCC device, which can be used to ordergoods or services, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 36B illustrates an example of various types of messages and orresponses that can be displayed or presented to the user in the messagedisplayed, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 37A-37C illustrate examples of a WCC device which can beconfigured for use by persons with disabilities, in accordance with someembodiments.

FIGS. 38A-38B illustrate examples of a user interfacing with anartificial intelligence (AI) bot, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 39 illustrates an example of a user providing a query to the AIbot, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 40 illustrates another configuration of interface by a user with avoice handler, which can be connected to a network device, in accordancewith some embodiments.

FIG. 41A illustrates an example of a user interfacing with a WCC, whichcan function as a terminal for communicating with the hub, which in turncommunicates with WCC devices over a network, in one embodiment.

FIGS. 41B and 41C illustrate examples of queries made to the WCC deviceat step 1, and the responses received by the user from the WCC device atstep 8, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 42A-42G illustrate examples of WCC devices used in the context ofpower cords, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 43A-43C illustrate examples of a WCC device that can be powered bymotion and a power pump can be charged or receive power in response toreactive motions of magnets integrated in an object, in accordance withsome embodiments.

FIGS. 44A-44E show examples of a control knob, housing, dial, terminaland/or structure that maybe provided for user interfacing, in accordancewith some embodiments.

FIGS. 45A and 45B will now be described with reference to examplemethods to manage security associated with data being transferred to andfrom WCC devices, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 46 shows an example of a system with inductive taps, in

FIG. 47 shows examples of WCC devices that can be disposed in locationsto track positions of devices, e.g., to provide a type of internal GPS,in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 48A-48B illustrate examples of WCC devices in electrical boxes andWCC watches, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 49A-49B illustrate examples of a WCC watch and use of the watch toinstruct, command, obtain and interface with data wirelessly, inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 50 illustrate examples of obtaining data and use of harvestedpower, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 51A illustrates an example store environment, where a user isapproaching a shelf in the store 5102 to select an item, in accordancewith one embodiment.

FIG. 51B illustrates an example of a user reaching in with his hand tograb an item off the shelf.

FIG. 52 illustrates an example of a shelf, with a stack of items, whichin this case is a stack of boxes of cookies.

FIG. 53 illustrates an example where multiple people may be shopping ina particular area, and differentiation between the two differentshoppers may be necessary to avoid conflicting selection transactions,in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 54 illustrates an example of overhead do you of FIG. 53, inaccordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 55 illustrates an example of store shelves, which may be stackedwith different types of products.

FIG. 56 illustrates an example where the user Jack is looking directlyat product A, and gaze detection is performed by one or more cameras, inaccordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 57 shows a machine learning system in a training phase, inaccordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 58 shows a model may be trained to detect when an item is taken orreturned to a shelf, in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 59 shows the machine learning model trained that is trained tolabel additional shopping behavior as take and return events, but alsoclassify whether a shopper has high interest in an item or whether thereexists a high churn risk associated with an item, in accordance with oneembodiment.

FIGS. 60A-60C illustrates example tables, which some possible featuresthat can be processed, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

FIG. 61A illustrates an overhead view of a store, where shopping isenabled and cloud processing is used for interacting with trackers andsensors, which are integrated or associated with the shopping store, inaccordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 61B illustrates another example, where a side view shows trackersintegrated within ceiling areas of the store, in accordance with oneembodiment.

FIG. 61C illustrates an example where users that are shopping inspecific areas, are specifically tracked by certain trackers.

FIG. 61D illustrates an example of additional targeting of audio data,steered audio data, propagated information for short range datadelivery, and the like.

FIG. 62A illustrates an example of a shopping store, where a user hasentered the store with a WCC device, in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 62B illustrates another embodiment of using a WCC device, where WCCdevices are provided for temporary use at a shopping location.

FIG. 62C illustrates another embodiment where a kiosk can be provided inthe store that is not fully cashier-less, but allow some cashier-fewertransactions.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In several embodiments described herein, retail embodiments includestores or retail outlets that are designed with a network of sensors fortracking user interaction with items provided for sale. Some embodimentsinclude one or more of cameras, motions sensors, ultrasonic sensors, IRsensors, weight sensors, eye gaze sensors, face orientation sensors,gesture sensors, audio sensors, audio steering sensors, activitysensors, etc., which may be used to determine when a user reaches for anitem and/or makes a take event (i.e., item was selected and possiblytaken for purchase). In some embodiments, confirmation systems areprovided to determine when an item has been taken, and has been removedfrom the store or moved to an area of the store that qualifies as anindicator that the item was intended to be purchased.

For example, if a user walk out of the store, walks to an area outsideof the store, or moves to another area in the store that indicatespurchase, etc., the item will be charged to the account of the user. Theaccount of the user may be an online account, with a shopping cart, andthe charging event may cause a debit to the user's credit card orpayment account linked to the user account. In one embodiment, theretail store has one or more local compute systems, which may interfacewith the sensors and or systems used to track users and/or items andidentify presence of items and or interaction of with items. In someembodiments, the local computer may be linked with cloud compute thatconnects processing to one or more systems and/or servers, forprocessing instructions to determine when users interact with items in astore, when users actions qualify as a take event, and when to chargefor an item.

The systems can further process historical interaction by the user, orhistorical interaction by other users, to determine possibilities thatitems will be purchased and/or taken from a shelf. As will be describedbelow, a number of learning processes may be executed by local and/orcloud computing, in order to make assumptions and predictions. Thisinformation may be beneficial information to the shopper, e.g., byproviding the user/shopper with real-time information regarding items.The information can be custom tailored for the specific user, e.g., bycustom display screens placed proximate to items or goods, and in someembodiments, audio can be provided to the user, providing custominformation regarding an item or good. In still other embodiments, thetracking of users and tracking of items can share sensors, e.g., sensorfusion, to make determinations that are validated as true. For example,multiple sensors can be used to determine if a user has actually pickedup an item from shelf. Some sensors may be weight sensors, some may beimage sensors, e.g., cameras, and some may be motion sensors. It shouldbe understood that the sensors that can be fused can be many, and someembodiments may use weighting to determine in real-time which sensorsare most important for a specific interaction and which sensors mayprovide the least reliable data. The weighting can be dynamic, as theway users interact with items on shelves may be different.

For example, users may be of different heights and sizes, and the waythey hold items may differ as well. Still further, users may be standingin different ways or angles relative to shelves, and the way things areheld and or moves will vary. In other circumstances, more than onesensor may be used to determine which user of multiple users is actuallyholding or interacting with a good or item. This may be important, asthe assignment or take even for an item should be verified to thecorrect user, to avoid false positives. In some embodiments, users canbe provided with an audio indicator when an item is added to theirvirtual shopping cart. This audio may come from a speaker in the storeor may come from a device of the user, e.g., a smart watch or phone, orsome other wearable device like glasses.

In the various embodiments described herein, some devices may be powereddevices and some devices may energy harvest. For purposes of clarity,many examples will be provided regarding wireless coded communication(WCC) devices, which may themselves function as sensors. Data sensed byspecific WCCs may then be captured and transmitted to a network forprocessing the detected information.

FIG. 1A illustrates an example of a user shopping in a store, inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention. In thisexample, store shelves are provided in various locations of the store.The store shelves and areas proximate and around the store shelves areconfigured with a plurality of sensors, that are configured to generatesensor output that can be processed in order to determine when a takeevent has occurred, for an item that was on the shelf. In this example,an item is being held by the user, and the item used to be placed on theshelf where shown. The take event is one that identifies when the userhas removed or interacted with and item on the shelf. In this example,the user is holding the item in his hand, and appears to be reading thelabel. In one configuration, which is optional, in ID, RFID tag, code,or WCC is integrated with the product.

Generally speaking, this information can be made part of the label ofthe product, and can be used to further tracked the product when it ispresent in the store, or when the product leaves the store by one ormore detectors. In one embodiment, these codes can be used to determinewhen the products leave the store, such as by RFID sensors or othertracking methods. In another embodiment, codes can be used to determinewhen items are placed inside of a physical shopping cart or a shoppingbasket. The physical shopping cart or shopping basket can have detectorsthat can identify when specific items are placed therein. Thus, this canbe useful when persons other than the primary shopper has selected itemfrom the store shelves. In one embodiment, the user's electronic device,such as a smart phone, wearable device, smart watch, may be paired tothe physical shopping cart, to determine when items are placed inside ofthe physical shopping cart or removed.

In some embodiments, the interaction that is detected is associated withthe user approaching the product, touching the product, reading theproduct label, or if the user returns the product back, a return eventis detected. As illustrated, a plurality of proximity sensors can bedisposed proximate to different rows of items on the shelves. In otherembodiments, proximity sensors can detect items in multiple rows. Infurther embodiments, motion sensors can also be provided proximate tothe shelves, or can be directed toward the shelves to determine when theitem is being moved on the shelf or interactions occurring by an object,such as the hand of the user. Furthermore, weight sensors can also beintegrated into the shelf locations, to determine when specific itemshave been removed. In some embodiments, weight sensors can be providedfor each location where items are to be placed. In other embodiments,the weight sensors can be located in areas where they share weightsensing capabilities for multiple products or items.

Further shown is that the floor system in store can also be equippedwith various types of sensors. The sensors can include, for example,weight sensors, sensors to determine the paths taken by a user, thevelocity of walking by the user, popular paths taken in the store duringshopping event, historical motion patterns within the store, and thelike. Additionally, floor sensors can also be used to determine thenumber of users that may be present at locations, e.g. stores.Additionally, heat sensors can also be used to determine when users areproximate to specific detectors within the store. The sensors can beintegrated into surfaces of objects within the store, integrated intothe floor, integrated into the ceiling, integrated into the shelves, orthe like. For sensors can also be used to determine durations when auser standing, walking, or interacting with shelves or items.

As further illustrated, a number of cameras can be integrated anddisposed within the store. Some cameras can be side cameras they cantrack motion of the user, proximity of the user to shelves, and/oridentify the when the user is interacting with specific products presentwithin the store. Overhead cameras can also be placed in variouslocations in the store, which can enable tracking of movement of usersthroughout the store. Some overhead cameras can also be used to detectthe shape of the user's body, and determine when the user's torso has alimb extending therefrom, and extending into one or more shelves.

This is useful for determining when one specific user is reaching andfor product instead of another user that might be proximate to that sameuser. In some embodiments, user identification is useful todifferentiate the user that a shopping from one that is simplyaccompanying the shopping user. This may be a case where a parent'sshopping with children or a friend the shopping with other friends.Thus, motion detection and also skeletal and/or limb detection andtracking can be used two determine the motions, interactions, locations,and actions taken by the user. In some embodiments, depth sensingcameras can be used to determine when user's hands are approachingspecific areas, volumes where items are placed, and/or determine thesize of the user relative to other users. As further shown, the user canbe shopping in the store while also having a smart phone in his pocket.

The user may also be wearing a smart watch, or smart glasses. In someembodiments, the user entering the store may login to an application forshopping at the store, which may identify the user to one or moresensors of the store. In some embodiments, when the user is shopping foritems in the store, items that have been confirmed to have been takenfrom shelves are added to the electronic shopping list of the user.Further determinations can be made to see if the user walks out of thestore or walks out of an area of the store, confirming the purchase ofthe item. By way of example, sensors can determine when the usersmartphone or smart devices have exited the store, and the items weretaken while the items were on the users shopping list. At that point,and electronic transaction can be processed, the charge those items tothe users account, which is linked to some payment service.

In some configurations, face identification or gaze detection cameras orsensors can be placed throughout the store. In this embodiment, it ispossible to determine when a user is looking at specific products, andinformation can be populated back to the user that is relevant for theproducts being looked at. By way of example, audio output can beprovided locally as audio output, which can be steered to the users headfor listening by the specific user. For example, if the user is lookingat a specific product that is a food product, and the dietaryinformation is relevant to the user, that information may be populatedback to the user in real time indicating that the item meets or does notmeet his dietary requirements. In other embodiments, augmentedinformation can be provided to the users smart classes, related to thespecific product being handled or interacted with. In other embodiments,the gaze detection and/or face detection can be used to determine wherethe user is looking within the store. This information can be utilizedby the store or processing logic of the store to determine when specificareas of the store are popular or are not getting sufficient traffic.

This information can also be utilized to optimize placement of goodswithin the store. In some embodiments, the store can be equipped withautomatically moving shelves, which can rearrange themselves based onuser viewing patterns, such as to optimize sales. In other embodiments,information can be provided to the store to enable moving of the shelvesor items, such as to improve sales. Thus, browse information can providevarious details to the store operator, to provide optimized placement,stocking, and/or removal from store shelves. In some embodiments,processing can be used to determine when certain store shelves or levelsin store shelves are getting more viewing. Using this information,different priority for certain products can be given, based on the tractinteractivity by users in the store. In some embodiments, thisinformation regarding browsing within the store and browsing specificitems within the store can be shared with a regional processing system,which can be then shared with multiple stores in a chain of stores.

Broadly speaking, the multiple sensors dispersed an integratedthroughout the store can be collecting information while also collectinginformation regarding user's presence and/or users interacting with thespecific items. Machine learning systems can also be integrated, so asto collect information regarding the sensors and that user interaction,which can be optimized to select or prioritize data from certain sensorsto make assumptions. The assumptions, for example, are defined or usedfor determining when a specific item has been taken from a shelf, orwhen a certain item has been returned to the shelf. In anotherembodiment, the assumptions can also be processed to identify what typesof interactions are occurring with specific items on the shelves.

FIG. 1B illustrates an example of various types of sensors, andinteractions between a network, and compute entities, in accordance withone embodiment. By way of example, the various processing entities andsensors can be used to produce different types of data; they can beoptimized for specific types of tracking in a store environment, so asto identify selection and purchases of items. Furthermore, it should beunderstood that the various outputs from the various sensors can befiltered or identified for priority or significance based on the type ofinteraction being tracked. In some embodiments, depending on the type ofinteraction, deep learning can be utilized to identify which sensoroutputs should be selected and which sensor output should be deselected.In other embodiments, machine learning can be utilized to provide moresignificance to some sensors while reducing the significance of othersensors, so as to improve the confidence levels of the proper selectionof our combinations of sensors utilized for identifying specificinteraction within a store.

Thus, the various examples shown in FIG. 1B are simply provided by wayof example. It should be understood that some may be used while othersmay not, and others that are not specifically identified may also beused. Generally speaking, the outputs, and communications may beprocessed through a network, which can also be in communication withvarious types of compute entities. The computer entities can includelocal compute, such as local servers, WCC devices, groups of WCCdevices, DLC devices, and other processing entities. Additionally, thenetwork can provide access to cloud compute, which can also be used tocommunicate with user accounts of various users that are accessingapplications for enabling shopping in real physical shopping stores.

With this in mind, the following examples of processes and functionalitywill now be described. Store guidance can be provided to the user, suchas by tracking the user's position within the store, and providinginformation back to the user. This information can be provided in theform of data provided to the user smart device. In another embodiment,information can be provided back to the user using audio steering, whichprovides audio to the user, in a way that tracks the user and followsthe user that may be walking around the store.

Audio listening can also be provided or integrated within features ofthe store. Audio listening can be utilized to determine when a user ispresent next to or proximate to specific items. Audio listening can beutilized to determine when a user has questions regarding the product,and customize responses can be provided when the user is present. Insome embodiments, artificial intelligence agents can be utilized toprovide responses back to the user, based on listened to audio orquestions posed by the user. In some embodiments, camera processing canbe used to process and capture images from different locationsthroughout the store. The images can be captured of items on the storeshelves, or of the user traversing the store, and combinations thereof.As mentioned above and throughout this document, there are various usesof image processing and different types of cameras can be used fordifferent types of sensing. Motion processing can also be performed,such as on output provided by motion sensors. Motion sensors can beutilized to determine when objects are interacted with in the store.Motion sensors can also be utilized to track motions of the user withinthe store. In other embodiments, the motion sensors can be utilized totrack the respective movements of an object or item in the store as wellas the users or multiple users traversing the store.

Eye gaze processing can also be provided to determine when users arelooking at specific items in the store. This information can be gatheredto provide additional or customize information back to the user, basedon the detected or predicted interests of the user. Weight sensors canalso be provided to determine when specific items have been lifted fromstore shelves, and calculations made to determine when items are placedback or return to a store shelf. In some embodiments, if the user placesan item back into a store shelf or store compartment that does notcorrespond to the item, weight sensing can also determine or signal thatthis item has been misplaced. Information regarding the misplaced itemcan also be communicated back to the store or store managers, in orderto identify and move the product back to its proper location.

Tracking processing is provided using various types of sensors. Asmentioned above, the tracking can be of the user, of items, movement ofitems throughout the store, movement of physical shopping cartsthroughout the store, movements of smart devices and or sensorsassociated with the user throughout the store, movement of multipleitems being purchased throughout the store, movement of items throughsensors detecting exit or entry into different regions of the store, ormovement of objects out of the store in order to generate a charging ofthat. In some embodiment, gesture processing can also be integrated intodifferent sensors within the store, so as to determine interactions orlack of interactions with specific products. Some gestures can beindicative of the user's like or dislikes with regard to the product.

For example, the gesture can be a hand waved toward a product, pointingat the product, eye gazing toward the product with a gesture, orcombinations thereof. In one embodiment, shopping carts can also beintegrated for communication with the network. The shopping carts caninclude electronic shopping carts, which may be associated with the useraccount of the user. In another embodiment, the shopping cart can alsobe a physical shopping cart of the store. In some embodiments,interactions between the physical shopping cart and the electronicshopping cart can occur, first to verify when items are placed into orout of the physical shopping cart. As shown, IOT's can also beintegrated within the network. IOT's, as described below, can take onvarious forms, and can be used to collect information within orthroughout the store or on products themselves. WCCs, which may functionas IOT's, may also be integrated throughout various shelves, surfaces,objects, or things that a user interacts with while in the store.

Machine learning can also be integrated and can be used forcommunication with the various sensors and for classifying andgenerating models, for determining when certain sensor data should beused, promoting sensor data for specific actions, motions, movements,detections, or tracking. Various examples regarding machine learning aredescribed throughout this document, and it should be understood thatmachine learning can be used to optimize the detection of selection ofitems from store shelves, and also predicting when a user wishes topurchase a different item in the store, provide recommendations, and/oroptimize the functionality of sensors distributed throughout a store ormultiple stores. Also illustrated is a home refrigerator item process,which may be data obtained from a home refrigerator. A home refrigeratormay include sensors or image capture devices, which can identify whenspecific items are required to be purchased or are missing from therefrigerator. Thus, this information can be used in populated to theuser shopping list or suggest a shopping list. This information can befed forward to the user, when the user is in the store. Shelf screenscan also be integrated various shelves throughout the store.

The shelf screens can be provided with displays that are customized tothe specific user that may be standing in front of the shelf. Thisinformation can be customized with information obtained from the cloudand different digital accounts of the user or accounts linked throughthe user account utilize for the shopping. Proximity sensing devices canbe used and such processing can be integrated with other sensors asdescribed above. In addition to audio outputs that can be provided inand around different shelving units or throughout the store, audiosteering can be utilized to direct sound to specific users. Biometricprocessing can also be utilized, to identify when specific users arelocated throughout the store or entering stores. Biometric processingcan be used in order to identify user entering the store, withoutrequiring the user to provide a phone or code to enter the store foridentification. Biometric processing can also be used by allowing theuser to place his or her finger, eyes, or other bio feature in front ofthe sensor, in order to detect the user.

In some embodiments, the biometric sensing systems can be passive, suchthat the user can be identified without the user been required to go upto a sensor or kiosk. Payment systems can also be integrated with thenetwork, to allow payments to be processed. The payments can includeservices such as PayPal, Visa, banking apps, and other electronicpayment systems or products. User accounts and user profiles can also belinked to the network, and provided access by the user. The user accountcan be associated with application utilized by the user when shopping atthe store. The user profile can include information regarding the user,historical data, references, explicit preferences, shopping list, socialfriends, social activities, and other information that the user allowsto be made part of the profile.

The user's calendar can also be accessed, such as to identify activitiesin the users life. These activities can provide information regardinggoods or products are items that the user may need, and this informationcan be populated or provided to the user when the user is in the store.As such, it should be understood that a store does not necessarily haveto be a grocery store, but can be a store that provides any type ofgoods or services for items or products. Smart devices can also becoupled are integrated with the network, such as to detect the user whenpresent in the store. The smart devices can include the user smartphones, smart watches, smart glasses, wearable devices, IOT's, WCCdevices, and the like. Ultrasonic sensors may also be integrated invarious locations in the store, so as to identify when users or itemsare being moved, motion patterns, and other information.

FIG. 1C illustrates an example of use of machine learning. For example,a machine learning model may be used with data from a variety of sourcesto characterize state including that of a shopper or shopping account atany moment. The model may be trained with data sourced from real storeenvironment or from data shaped to simulate the desired featuresrepresentation for a particular label classification, or from acombination of both. As shown in FIG. 1B, the model may be trained orretrained using feedback from actual shopping activity, wherecorrections and confirmation labels may be fed back into the model. Suchcorrections and confirmation labels may be sourced from users throughtheir actual or implied acceptance (confirmation) of the take events orother classifications or through the flagging of erroneous systemclassifications (e.g. correction: wrong item detected in basket, etc.).

In other words, when a human or other system detects a state that isdifferent from that determined by the machine learning algorithm, thesource may trump the output classification provided by the machinelearning model and the data label for the feature set be corrected. Inone configuration, the model is retrained with the correctedclassification for the set of features leading to the previouslyincorrect output classification. This will ensure that the model learnsto correctly classify its tracking features to the correct state overtime. In addition to classifying take or return events for a particularitem from a shelf, several others classifications relevant to profilingshopping activity, sentiment, churn, and the like are provided herein aswell as coupling the change in classification to events, guidance,feedback, rewards, incentives, sales and the like.

FIG. 1D illustrates one example flowchart, associated with tracking anitem that has been selected by a user for purchase, for a cashier-lessprocess. This example process, without limitation, is provided forpurposes of an example. It should be understood that various elementsand or steps can be added or deleted depending on the specificconfiguration. As shown, in operation 10, presence of a plurality ofitems on one or more store shelves are identified. The presence of itemscan be identified utilizing sensors, as described above.

The sensors can be image or non-image type sensors and can varydepending on the configuration or types of items. In operation 12,presence of a user in the store is identified. The presence of the usercan be the user entering the store, and the user being identified. Theuser can be identified by allowing the user to check in using a smartdevice. In another embodiment, the user need not check in, but cansimply check out. In one example embodiment, checking out of the storecan mean walking out of the store if the transaction is a cashier-lesstransaction. Further, identification of the user can include identifymultiple users within the store simultaneously.

In operation 14, interactions by the user with an item is identified.The identification of the interaction can include various sensors. Theinteraction can be identified eye tracking the user, tracking the item,tracking that area or volume of the item, tracking the motions of theuser in the store, tracking the limbs of a user, tracking IDs of theuser, tracking space direction of the user, and various other combinedtracking methods. In item 18, the item is added to the shopping list ofthe user account for the user. Adding the item to the shopping list issimply adding item to the electronic shopping cart of the user. In oneembodiment, the item is allowed to remain on the shopping list until theuser has decided to leave the store, and at that time the item isverified and added to the payment or confirmation for payment.

For example, in operation 20, it is determined if the user has exitedthe store or an area within the store that qualifies for purchase of theitem by the user. This determination can be made by tracking the user'smotions throughout the store and/or tracking the user as the user movesaround the store from entry to exit. In another embodiment, tracking theuser exiting the store or area can be done by tracking the user's deviceor signals from the user's device. The user's device can be the usersmart phone, smart watch, wearable device, WCC device, IOT device, orcombinations thereof. In some embodiments, RFID tags associated withitems can also be tracked, such as to determine when items are movedthroughout the store, or exit the store or moved to different areas.

These determinations can then be analyzed using confidence scores,machine learning, artificial intelligence, neural networks, and/or otherprocessing. In operation 22, the user can be charged for the item in theshopping cart, when the item has been determined to have been removedfrom the store or area by the determination in operation 20. Thecharging will occur in the form of a cashier-less process, which doesnot require the user to check out with a person or automated cashiersystem.

FIG. 1E illustrates another example process, which may be processed inorder to determine when an item should be charge to the user, in acashier-less purchase transaction. In operation 40, a server receivessensor data regarding items associated with store shelves of the store.In this example, the server may be local or remote to the store. Theserver may be a process this executed by an application, or multipleapplications. The server may be a process that's executed by one or moreIOT devices, and/or process by one or more compute nodes of the cloudprocessing system. The cloud processing system may be utilizing the datacenter that is assigned one or more computers for processingtransactions associated with tracking items on store shelves.

In operation 42, the server can receive interaction data of an item ofthe shelf of the store by the user. The interaction database configuredto identify a type of item. The type of the item can be, for example,cereal of a particular brand, a package of a particular type, the goodof the particular kind, or any other type of good or product or itemthat can be sold in a store. Again as mentioned above, the item does nothave to be related to the grocery item, and any retail item can betracked using one or more sensors. In one embodiment, the interactiondata will identify the item type, as certain items can be associatedwith locations throughout the store, or on the shelf. For instance, milkmay be stored in particular shelves that are refrigerated.

Dry good products can be stored in other types of shelves. Produce canbe stored in yet other different types of shelves or areas. Shirts andpants can be stored in different types of shelving or compartments in astore. Electronic devices can be stored or organized in differentlocations in the store. With this in mind, the type of item beingtracked can be associated with different types of sensors, and thosetype sensors can be optimized to track the interaction data with thatspecific item and identify the item that may be associated with thesensors. In one embodiment, the item can be added to an electronicshopping cart of the user having a user account for processing a cashierlists purchase transaction. This may occur if the user's interactioncauses the item to be taken from the shelf.

The item can be taken by hand, in a shopping cart that's visible to thestore, a bag, or any other way of taking the item from the shelf orlocation. The electronic shopping cart can be an electronic list that istallied and calculated to determine which items have been selected andtaken by the user, and price can be identified or associated therewith.The electronic shopping card can be associated with an application thatis executed by a mobile device of the user, or the application can'tsimply be tracked and processed by a server application for the useraccount of the user. In operation 44, the server receives data that isindicative of the user leaving an area of the store that is indicativethat the user has purchased the item. This indication is one where theuser has left an area where he or she may no longer wish to return theitem, and simply leaves the retail location.

The user can be tracked in various ways, to determine the user has leftthe area or exited the store. Tracking can include tracking of theperson as he or she walks around the store, or interacts with items, ortags or codes on the items themselves can be tracked to determine whenthey leave the store or are leaving the store in relation or associationwith a specific user. In operation 46, the server processes that anelectronic charge to a payment service of the user for the item uponconfirming that the user has left the area of the store or has exitedthe store. The electronic charge can include signaling or sendinginformation to the payment service to debit the users billing account.

In the example provided in FIG. 1E, it should be understood that theprocessing provided by the server can also be executed or alternativelyexecuted by a local computer, one or more networked computers that arelocal, remote computers, mobile devices, combinations of mobile devicesand local computers, remote computers, cloud-based computers, datacenters, or combinations of mobile devices, local computers, servers,data centers, and the like. In other embodiments, processing can alsooccur or handled by WCC devices, which may be integrated or be presentlocal to the store or be personal to the user.

In various embodiments described herein, a smart retail outlet iscapable of classifying shopping activity for one or more shoppers intoone or more categories, where upon a determination that a user fits inany particular category, or changes category, an action can be taken todynamically respond to the state of the shopper. Described herein, astore tracks the taking of items into the possession of the shopper aswell as the detection of returning items to the shelf, and is able tocharacterize the misplacement of returned items to the wrong shelves. Inone embodiment, machine learning algorithms are used to predict ashopping list for a shopper. In one configuration, a retail outlet usesa mix of input data with machine learning model to classify shoppingbehavior and track events such as takes and returns and enables a familyor group of shoppers to participate in the taking and returning of itemsto a single shopping account. Furthermore, the present inventionincludes capability to make a determination of the identity of eachshopper taking or returning items from the shelf even when multipleshoppers are proximate to the shelf and interacting with the shelf atthe same time.

In several embodiments described herein, a retail store has item pricesthat are set dynamically and ones that are fixed for all customers, andsome having a combination of both. Pricing may be variable, setaccording to metrics specific to each shopper, so shoppers may paydifferent prices for same item. The price point may reflect pastpurchases, earned credits, earned discounts, applied credits, applieddiscounts, membership or status of a subscription in connection with thestore, brand, consortium of brands, distribution bundle, the absence orpresence of another item in the user's shopping cart or recent take orpurchase. Variable pricing may be based, for example, on an incentivethat first brand issues to gain a new customer that is otherwise loyalto a second brand.

In several embodiments, dynamic incentives are granted for specificshoppers. In one configuration, customers are deemed to meet pre-trainedcriteria based on the output of a classifier model. Machine learning orother methods predict churn risk associated with an item and a shopper.A classifier output triggers a price incentive discount that is offeredon the spot for the purchase of a competing brand of a similar item thatthe customer typically purchases. Other pricing and incentive modelstrigger based on primary price, bulk purchase price, or bundled price.Bundled price may be defining a secondary price point provided thecustomer also be obligated to purchase a second product. In oneconfiguration, the price of an item is set using machine learning modelclassifier that aims to defines a maximum price the specific purchaseris willing to pay for an item and in another configuration, the price ofan item is set using machine learning model classifier according to thebest fit price for the current mix of shoppers in the store. Oneclassifier output may trigger for a specific customer a lightning deal,short term time window, where the price of an item is offered at adiscount for moments of time due, given the probability the deal andprediction it would successfully trigger an impulse purchase by thecustomer. Such may be based on features associated with customer andmodel training from customer behavior.

In some embodiments, digital display is disposed proximate to orassociated with store item on a shelf to provide the price of one ormore items. When a customer is detected to be proximate to the display,the display may react and configure messages according to identity ofthe person in front of the display. The display may indicate that aproduct was taken or product was returned to the shelf. Such may alsoprovide dynamic pricing for the customer viewing the display or provideguidance or other information specific to the profile of the particularcustomer standing before the display. In one embodiment, the display maydetect or receive information characterizing the detection of the user,the user's head orientation, or the user's gaze. In some embodiments, aretail display may detect or be provided information according to thespecific user's preferences. For example, guidance may be provided to acustomer known or detected to adhere to a specific diet, known to chooseproducts of a specific nutrition level or who may avoid nuts, may beprovided information responsive to the user's specific diet profile.Discounts, incentives, or other messages may appear on the display for aspecific individual shopper detected to be viewing the display. Suchdiscounts may be time-based with expiration prompting impulse purchases.In one configuration, shopper guidance is being provided through digitaldisplay. A shopper may receive notification of sale items for purchase.Sale items lists may be filtered to see sale items only for items thatwere previously purchased by the user. Sale item lists may be furtherfiltered based on the amount of discount comparing the standard priceagainst the discounted sale price.

In several embodiments, one or more cameras are housed in the facilityto track shoppers and observe the shoppers including their viewingposture, including their viewing of items on shelfs, other shoppers anddisplays. In one configuration, the output from the camera is fed into amachine learning model to result in the classification of whether theuser is gazing at the display, at a specific direction, person, shelf oritem in the store. Other known methods may be used to determine the heador eye gaze of the shopper and apply the same to tracking data in thestore to determine the object of interest of the shopper over time.Time-based and other metrics including ones from camera processing orother sensors may be calculated in real time and fed into a classifieras a feature to classify the user into one or more categories orprofiles. Classification may be multi-modal. In some configurations, ashopper is classified, labeled to generally to fit into one of severalclasses of customer. However, in some configurations, a shopper isclassified with a label with respect to a specific item or labeled witha behavior associated with an item. In many embodiments, labels outputfrom a trained classifier model that are associated with a shopper inconnection with an item are used to trigger discounts specific to thatshopper in connection with that item or a competing item by anotherbrand.

In several embodiments, data from each shoppers shopping trip mayaccumulate and be used to retain a machine learning model specific forthe user, tuning the model with new data from each shopping experience,or continuous tuning. Machine learning model may also be retrainedacross the population of shoppers on a periodic or continuous basis.Training model may include training data that is not data from a realshopping experience but created artificially for the purpose of addingrobustness to the machine learning capability, to gain high accuracy inclassification and prediction.

In various embodiments described herein, automated shopper guidance isprovided to the shopper in several inventive ways. Guidance may bedelivered across a myriad of in-store assets, channels and personaldevices and take several forms including but not limited to finding thelocation of an item in the store, finding a person in the store,obtaining product research or reviews, retrieving any information anyon-line service, requesting samples, confirming item meets per-definedcriteria, checking shopping list, checking inventory levels for an itemor class of items that are either present in store, checking home orremote site inventor for item or class of items. In general, guidancemay take on various forms, including directing a user to look up, left,right, down, finding a next or any item on a shopping list, directing auser to similar products that meet diet, kosher, gluten free, finding orguiding to items that are above or below a threshold of a particularnutrient or fat, informing of the absence or presence of certainingredient, shelf life, expiration date, product requirements forkeeping after opening, refrigeration needed, etc. Guidance may reflectthe inventory level detected at another location, such as the shoppershome. Guidance messages may be generated or received in whole or partfrom other systems, services, DLC, WCC devices, refrigerator itemtracking devices, etc. In several embodiments, a guidance systemdelivers messages to display. In one embodiment, when multiple shoppersare proximate to a display and viewing a display, guidance for anyspecific customer is reserved until it is detected that only the shopperfor which the guidance is associated with is determined to be viewingthe display exclusively or with a member of their shopping family orgroup.

In some embodiments described here, a store configures itself to addressthe style, culture, age or ability of the customers who are present inthe store by adapting one or more of its systems including but notlimited to the adaptation of shelf height, location of items in thestore, selection of music, and mode of security cameras, to address allinterests. For example, a store may detect a traditional, older or lesstechnically sophisticated customer, and may engage in a mode ofoperation that is more simplified and traditional. An environment, storeor other venue serving multiple customers may issue a playlist of songsthat are selected according to the users in the venue. For example, aretail store having only a single customer present in the store, mayselect a song or playlist of background music this is known, estimatedor predicted to be liked by that particular shopper. When other shoppersarrive in the store, the playlist can be modified and adjusted toaccommodate the tastes of the multiple shoppers. The store can learnpatterns of profiles that may visit the stores at predicable times, forexample, when high school gets out, and plays music or sets otherthemes, pricing, configuration, according to best address that known ordetected flow of profiles in the store, to best serve the needs of thecustomers and the storefront. Security systems may adapt their controlscheme to address the mix of customer profiles present in the store.

In some embodiments described herein, a store is equipped with a displaythat provide information that is specific to one or more users who areknown to be either in the store, proximity to the display or whoseintent or focus is detected in connection with the item or display. Theinformation may change to show the mix of information associated withthe mix of customers in the store or in proximity to the display.Guidance messages may indicate the location in the store where a friendor family member is within the store. Facial scans may be taken ofshoppers entering the store. Friend or family member determination maybe predicted based on a model monitoring entry and store activity andmay be reinforced by historical data showing clusters of matching facesdefining a family, partners, etc. Clustering and determining of shoppinggroups may also be derived in whole or in part from third partyservices, such as social networks such as Facebook.

In one embodiment, a shopper may be provided or use an asset that aidsthe user in their shopping experience. The asset may be provided by thestore on a temporary or permanent basis. It may an existing smart phoneor a wearable device. The asset may aid the store in tracking the useras they meander through the aisles, aid the store in detecting when theshopper takes or returns an item to a shelf. The asset may provide audioor visual feedback to the user and may be integrated into the guidancesystem of the store to assist, prompt, deliver information and feedbackto the user in response to their meandered path in, and manipulation ofitems in the store. The asset may be used to trigger local storeguidance systems and assets such as digital signs, screens, pricedisplays, led indicators, sound sources.

In one embodiment, upon entry to a store, a user weight may be collectedas they traverse through a check-in lane. Upon exit, the weight of theuser combined with the weight of the goods purchased may be summed andthe total weight checked against the calculated additional weight of thepurchased products. A threshold may be used to determine if the actualexit weight is near the calculated exit weight and if the calculation isnot within a threshold, it may signal an error in identification of atake or return event. The entry lane be equipped with cameras or othersensors to determine the clustering of members of a same group as theypass through the entry lane. Each member may be weighed and identified.Upon exit, depending on the configuration of the weight scale, ifanother member or members of the group are occupying the exit weightscale, their weight, which is known, can be accommodated for, such thatthe incremental weight of the acquired goods can be compared against thecalculated weight of the acquired goods.

In one embodiment a retail outlet that accommodates a shopper withextremely limited time budget. When a shopper has limited time, notenough time to gather and collect all items on their list, a short listmay be determined either by the shopper in advance or a machine learnedshort list may be predicted based on prior purchases.

In one embodiment a retail outlet enables or predicts when a user needshelp in general or for an item. Help may occur in person or through asmart phone application, or a combination of both, or when sensor dataindicates a probability that help is required, either for a shopper, orto correct a shelf misplacement, to avoid a future help event fromoccurring from another shopper.

In one embodiment, upon entering or in advance of entering a store orupon receipt of a signal that a customer will enter or is likely toenter the store, or to purchase goods, an employee of the store orassistive device as part of the store may provide assistance to fill ashopping list. Such assistance may be in the form of collecting itemsfrom an electronic shopping list associated with the customer. Suchassistance may be in the form to expedite the shopping event, to aid thecollection of items so the customer can enter and leave quickly.

In one embodiment, GPS dead reckoning and machine learning may be usedto classify a user who is in route to the store or highly likely tovisit a store to make a purchase. The classification of such user may beassociated with a designated time frame in which the user is expected toenter the store. The advance information about the user and proximity tothe store can be used to trigger pre-selection of certain items. Suchitems may be associated with a user's intent to purchase, shopping list,etc. The advance information may be used to provide guidance to human orrobot workers to prepare, gather or configure items in anticipation ofthe shopper entering the store.

In several embodiments, shoppers have predefined profiles that maycontain dietary restrictions or mandates that require the shopper (or athird party proxy for which the shopper is making a purchase for) tolimit intake or require certain minimum level intake of certain foods,vitamins or minerals. The assistance may provide through a guidancesystem via audio or video, by displays, speakers, etc., employees orrobots in the store can provide feedback of items matching the profile.A visual or audio indicator may quantify the contributory level ofnutrition associated with an item and such may be summed along withother items. The summing with other items may be partitioned intomeal-size portions and combined with known or predicted, or suggestedcombinations of foods that the user may purchase.

In one embodiment, multiple-person shopping lists that are accessed onmultiple devices, such as smartphones, may be utilizing coordinationwithin a single store. Such coordination may enable, for example, twopeople to divide and conquer the acquisition of items from a store. And,using known constructs and methods as well as those defined herein, thedynamic update of the shopping list that are shared between two shopperscan occur such that a first shopper's list can be updated in real timeas items from the list are taken from the shelf by the second shopper,and vice versa. Lists may be bifurcated by view or by guidance providedusing any method to steer or signal each person in connection with allitems or the portion of items that are assigned to each shopper. In manyconstructs, individual shoppers are tracked, including their location inthe store and their head orientation and gaze. The tracking can providefeedback to the guidance system to alert the shopper to items that arepart of their list or ones that are determined, predicted or classifiedto be of interest to the shopper. When multiple shoppers are attemptingto efficiently traverse a store and collect the necessary items on theirshopping list or when dynamic event occurs, the guidance system linkedto tracking the individual is adjusted to add, remove or change paths,alerts and guidance according changes in the list or events added to theguidance system in response to the traversal through the store, theselection of specific items, the addition of additional items to thelist, spot sales, dynamic incentives, etc. Dynamic events that impactthe guidance system and shopping list may include changes in inventorylevels that are detected at a remote location, such as the home ofshopper. Real-time inventory management systems including those coupledto or incorporated into home appliances can detect that a product levelpassed a threshold quantity while the shopper is in the store, and theguidance and list may be adjusted with the dynamic event, prompting theshopper to acquire the milk or product while they are at the store.

In some embodiments described herein, a facility is equipped withparametric audio that uses a modulated ultrasound carrier wave to createa focused sound beam that demodulates when the sound beam strikes anobject, such as a person's head. In one configuration, a store usesparametric audio and the transmitters are controllably directed orsteered to customers as they traverse the store to deliver customerspecific audio one or more customers in the store. In one configuration,an array of parametric audio emitters are used. In another, the audioemission array contains individualized channels are independentlysteered to individual shoppers. Custom audio delivery may take the formof custom music, guidance messaging or signaling, traversal through thestore, shelf or specific customer's shopping list, head navigation (e.g.“look further up the shelf and to the right”), verbal information onpricing, statistics, nutritional information, etc. Audio transmitters beit traditional or parametric may be zoned into partitions to demarcateregions in the store where all users may hear a specific audio waveform.Parametric and traditional loudspeakers may be used simultaneously todeliver audio experience to one or more customers. In one configuration,speakers are distributed into different regions of the store, andswitching occurs to deliver messages as users traverse through thestore. Switching of speakers may be timed such that the switching eventdoes not occur during specific periods of times, such as mid-word,mid-sentence or mid-message.

In several embodiments described herein, a guidance system runs inclosed loop providing audio to users and picking up natural languagevoice commands from the user. The audio may be directed to thesmartphone, wearable device, cart, basket, parametrically delivered,provided using traditional speakers, provided on a custom asset providedby the store or through other means. Voice commands may be picked upfrom the shopper's smartphone, cart, basket, wearable device, via acustomer asset provided by the store, a microphone proximate to theuser, item, or through other means. Beam forming microphones may trackindividual shoppers as they meander throughout the store, allowing voicecommands to be received by each shopper.

Voice commands may take any form, including confirmation of a take orreturn of an item to a shelf, asking for item specific information,asking for location of items, location of other shoppers in the store,asking for the inventory level of the item at the home or remotelocation, asking questions in connection with other similar items,balance, credits, coupons, or any question, including those not relatedto shopping experience but rather questions that are typically posed toSiri, Alexa and the like. In one configuration, a shopper can receive aphone call and the store audio system may acting like a Bluetoothperipheral and allow the shopper to use the audio delivery andmicrophone capture infrastructure of the store as a proxy to their phoneto engage in a conversation. In one configuration, this would allow auser to walk hands free in the store and have a conversation on thephone with audio directed to their ears—more clearly, the shopper couldhold the conversation“naked-with-nothing-on-their-body-or-in-their-hands”, and only thatshopper would hear the audio from whom they are speaking with, a remotemicrophone would pick up the person's audio as they walked around thestore.

In some embodiments, dynamically triggered visual indicators, LEDs, orothers that disposed on or near items, shelves, kiosks or referencepoints to bring attention to a specific user in proximity thereto. Inone configuration, the triggering of a visual indicator is in responseto the presence of an output from a classifier in a machine learningmodel. In another it is response to the state of a guidance system.Visual indicators may point out item of interest to the user. Differentcolors of light may signal different feedback to one or more shoppers.For example, red flashing light near a food item may signal a negativeor non-compliant attribute associated with the item for the particularshopping account while green may indicate the item is safe or compliantwith a filter associated with the shopping account profile. The LEDs maybe strobed in sequence vertically or horizontally across shelves to leada user to a destination.

Visual indicator may call attention to an item of interest may be anitem on the shopper's shopping list, an item that the user haspreviously flagged prior to entering the store, one that matches acriteria associating the user to the item or potential interest in theitem, or desired interest in the item. The visual indicators may beassociated with trigger that is conditioned to operate until a shopper'sattention or focus is detected or assumed to have reached focus on theitem of interest or in receipt of an item of interest. In oneconfiguration, the visual indicators are turned off when other shoppersare detected to be in view or in proximity at risk of confusion from thesignals.

In one embodiment, a cell phone runs an application that is adapted tobe used in the store and acts as a shopping agent to provide guidance inconnection with shopping at the store. In one configuration the phonemay be used to check into the store. In one configuration the smartphoneapplication uses digital augmentation to the output of the camera shownon the display. This enables the shopper to pan and view the storethrough an augmented window of the screen which may shows guidanceoverlay. One guidance overlay is an arrow showing navigational directionto an item in the store. Another overlay highlights items of interest inthe view of the screen. Another overlay shows a map or location offamily members or others in a shopping group.

The smartphone may have sliders that allow adjustment of parameters suchas nutritional information or price information and as the parameterschange, it causes only those items that meet the parameters to behighlighted on the display. Highlighting may include casting glow orcalling attention to the item but it may also include filtering out allother items in the screen, so only the items that meet the parametersare shown. In addition, in various configurations, the phone is used asan identity device, feedback to confirm or deny taking and returningitems from shelves, proxy to web services and user account, a window toretrieve guidance, identify location of items on a shelf, filter itemsnot meeting a criteria, identify sale items at or above a certainthreshold, locate items with specific nutritional characteristics,locate items that meet predefined criteria associated with the shopper'saccount, locate items that meet per-defined criteria associated withanother shopper's account.

In certain embodiments, sensors and cameras are placed in or near thefloor or below the shelf looking upwards, from or near the ceiling orabove the shelf looking downwards for detection of an event of taking orreplacing item on a shelf. Cameras or sensors may be placed withinshelfs, on carts or basket. Focused collimated directional light may beused to aid the detection of absence or presence of an item on a shelf.Paired light emitter detectors may be used as proximity sensor to detectthe absence or presence of an item on a shelf. Density sensors maydetect the absence or presence of an item on a shelf or the density ofthe item on a shelf for deterministic purpose including the state of theitem. Sensors may be positioned in different orientations on differentshelves to enable the viewing angle of the sensors to track specificform factor of the different items associated with the differentshelves. Sensors may be placed to avoid occlusion or line of sight withthe form factor of the item or class of item designated for a specificshelf.

Contact-less IR temperature sensors may be used to monitor items on ashelf, detect users or parts of users in proximity to the shelf or item.Sensors may be sealed or positioned in a manner to avoid damage fromspills. Sensors may be built into shelves, sandwiched or molded into theshelf. Sensors may be hidden in opaque tinted shelves.

In embodiments described herein, sensors are disposed in connection withtracking patrons, items, shelves, racks in a store. Output of sensorsmay be routed to multiple systems. In some configurations sensor data isused to validate state or make a computation the result of which may beused as input to a machine learning model. For example, the weight ofitems on a shelf or in a cluster can be checked to determine the clusteris a multiple of the individual weight of the item. A count of inventoryon a shelf can be calculated by dividing the total weight by the knownindividual weight of the item associated with that shelf. A flag can beraised to detect condition of customer misplacing an item on the wrongshelf, based on weight. Alternatively, a misplaced item may be detectedby the output of a convolution neural network image classifier thattakes input from the output of a camera sensor and compares theclassified image to the type designed for the shelf.

A floor sensor, weight sensor or otherwise, can be placed on or near thefloor to detect the presence of a specific or generic customer inproximity the sensor. Shelf units may contain one or more sensors todetect direct activity in connection to a shelf or approaching activityin connection with the shelf or an item on the shelf. Inertial sensorunits may detect vibration to indicate activity. Shelf units may containor be monitored by one or more microphones to detect activity inconnection with the items on the shelf. Commands and gestures may bedetected using sensors. In one construct, a user may trigger an event tooccur based on the manipulation of an item, the tapping on the item, viasmart phone or via some other modality.

For example, a user can double tap on an item on a shelf. Tapping can bedetected via the microphone. Similar or other gesturing with the itemmay be directed to result in a command associated with the item.Detected commands may trigger guidance. The direction of such gesture ormapping to command may be made via smart phone or other application orconfiguration. The command itself may result in the flagging of the itemto a store representative for help in connection with the item, reviewof the item, status of the item including date, time, region of origin,nutritional information, showing custom information of interest to theshopper, showing per-identified information as configured by thecustomer prior to engaging with the item or prior to entering the store.

In one embodiment, a store utilizes a convolution neural network (CNN)to classify items that appear in images output from a camera located inthe store. The model representing the CNN may be retrained when newproducts are added to the store.

In one embodiment a store may utilize a convolution neural network toidentity of a shopper through the classification of faces that appear inimages output from a camera located in the store. Other facialrecognition methods may be used as well as other methods including voicedetection, cell phone, wireless signal, wearable device or other assetcoupled to the user such as a shopping bag, cart or device provided bythe store or by other means.

In one embodiment, when an item or product is taken from a shelf, theshopper's account is charged either on the spot or charged upon reachinga checkpoint, region, threshold in the store or an exit. A store mayhave multiple regions for which accumulated charges for taken items arereconciled.

In one configuration, a retail outlet uses a mix of input data withmachine learning models to allow a group, such as family or othercluster of shoppers, to gather and return items and correctly associatethe taken or returned items with an account. Members of the group may beindividually identified and tracked throughout the store. In oneconfiguration, if a single item is taken by one member of the group butreturned to the shelf by another member of the group, the accountassociated with the group will detect the return correctly.

Embodiments are described for devices that can receive input, respond toor process, the input and then transmit data wirelessly to an end node.These devices are portable, and depending on whether the device isconfigured for energy harvesting or is powered by a power source, thesedevices are portable and are capable of being integrated into any typeof physical configuration. The configuration can be a device that isdedicated to receive input and send data wireless upon receiving theinput. In some embodiments, the device can be integrated into physicalobjects, such that movement, changes in state, or changes in orientationof such physical objects triggers or causes sensing of data, position,state or location information that is then processed locally in thedevice or transmitted as raw data wirelessly to an end node. The endnode may be another local device or may be a device that is part of anetwork. In one embodiment, the end node may be coupled to a network. Insome embodiments, the end node may be another wireless device or aserver that is part of a cloud system having access to the Internet.

As will be described in greater detail below, the devices are in someembodiments configured or paired to communication with specific networkdevices, which in turn provide access to the Internet. In otherembodiments, the devices may connect to an ad-hoc network, such as awireless mesh network, or other wireless network to enable access to theInternet. The data sensed, captured, and processed by these devices canthen be received by the end nodes, and based on the coded data sent tothe end node, the end node can act to save the data, send the data toanother device, use repeater nodes to transmit the data to otherprocessing nodes/servers/devices, and or act in relaying the data tospecific individuals (e.g., messages) and or request data fromindividuals or services connected to the Internet.

As noted above, these sensing devices with integrated or accessiblewireless communication may be referred to as wireless codedcommunication (WCC) devices. A WCC device, in one embodiment, is onethat has or is coupled with a wireless chip (e.g., a Wi-Fi chip,Bluetooth chip, transmitter, transceiver, radio or communication chip,etc.), and a power pump or a power supply.

In one embodiment, WCC devices may engage in pre-determined methods andfunctions, and methods and functions that are particularly selectedbased on the state of the WCC, its inputs and level of pump power thatmay be detected during an activation cycle.

In one configuration, a power pump device is configured to receive aforce or movement input from a user or object. The force can be a directfor that is intentionally input by the user, e.g., by pushing a button,moving a slider, lifting a tab, shifting a lever, etc. Another type offorce is an indirect or incidental one, which is one that the user orobject is not intending to provide. Instead, force or input sensed iscreated when the user or object moves, opens, lifts, shifts, closes, orsomehow changes the position of a physical object. For example only, thephysical object may be a door, and closing of the door is the intent ofthe user. The incidental force of closing the door is then, in oneembodiment, transferred as force to the WCC device. As such, even thoughthe user did not have intent to provide input or force the WCC device,the WCC device received the force or input. In the case of a batteryoperated WCC, the WCC device could also receive the input incidentally.That is, when the door is closed, an input trigger or sensor can be setor impacted or triggered, and this can input to the WCC device that isincidental. In other embodiments, WCC devices may be hybrid devices thathave both power pumps to enable energy harvesting and also a battery orrechargeable storage cell, or hybrid devices that use have power pumpsto enable energy harvesting for use of activation of a WCC device thatis contained in a device that has a dedicated or plug-in AC powersource.

In one embodiment, WCC can store or save or receive programmedinstructions. In one embodiment, a WCC device is defined to include awireless chip, a memory interfaced with the wireless chip, a powerstorage cell, a logic chip and a power pump. The logic chip may beinterfaced with or part of the wireless chip and is coupled to orincludes a memory, and the power storage cell. The memory is programmedwith at least one predefined function that is executed by the logicchip. The logic chip may be configured to trigger execution of thepredefined function or may trigger execution of any function stored inmemory, to engage or continue processing. The execution of the functionmay occur upon detecting a threshold amount of power in the powerstorage cell. The power pump is configured to generate power in responsea mechanical force applied to an element of the power pump. The power istransferred to the power storage cell such that when the power storagecell has reached or has reached a stable threshold amount of power thelogic chip executes the predefined function.

The WCC may operate on pre-programmed instructions or instructions thatare dynamically loaded into the WCC device, or on a combination of both.The memory is configured to be programmed to cause generation of data,e.g., output code, payload. In one specific example, the memory can beprogrammed locally by a device, e.g., a phone or computing device. Inthe example of a phone, the phone may have an APP (application) thatallows the user to program the device to perform an action, recordactions, store a history, send a message, report a state, confirm astate, log state changes, or request data from an end node, etc.

In one embodiment, a WCC device is a special purpose WCC device thatperforms the same instructions, same tasks in the same order, each timeupon receiving activation power (e.g., enough power that meets a giventhreshold level). In another embodiment, the WCC device performsdifferent functions based on a state of the WCC device. The currentstate of a WCC device may be based on prior activity of the WCC device,and the WCC device may operate in a persistent manner or may save all orpart of state data, including sensed data, user controls, settings,payload history, etc., in information in memory.

In some embodiments, multiple WCC devices may be applied to differentobjects, and coded communication from the multiple WCC devices may bereceived by a selected end node. For instance, a user may establish aserver that receives the communication. In another embodiment, the usermay associate WCC devices to a cloud service, wherein the cloud serviceenables access from any device to see status communicated by themultiple WCC devices. In still other embodiments, WCC devices cancommunicate with other WCC devices. The communication among the WCCdevices may occur prior to at least one of the WCC devices sending datato an end node, which may identify interaction patterns among the WCCdevices.

In one example, WCC devices may be used for tracking packages (e.g.,commercial carrier packages or personal packages). Packages that arestacked or moved around can cause forces to be applied to an input ofthe WCC devices, which in turn harvests power. The power will power amicrocontroller of the WCC device to trigger communication by a wirelesschip of the WCC device. In other embodiments, a WCC device may have itsown power source, e.g., such as a battery. The communication can beamong multiple packages, e.g., such as communication to verify that allpackages are present or all packages are present in a specificgeolocation. In some embodiments, WCC devices can be associated as agroup, and group data from the WCC devices can be received by an endnode, e.g., a server or a computer or some device connected to anetwork.

Tracking can be associated to more than just packages, for example,tracking can extend to parts used to build things, such as homes,offices complexes, roads, computers, towers, automobiles, etc. Thetracking can also be used by people, e.g., such as to track employeesentering into restricted areas, tracking computers of employees,tracking devices, tracking employee badges, tracking use of things,tracing movement of things, absolute or relative positioning of things,etc. Again, the WCC devices are configured to communicate codedinformation, and the information communicated depends on a predefinedcoding set at each WCC device. Further, it should be understood thatstate is not the only type of communication a WCC device can do, and thecoded information can further include sending data, sending messages,requesting data, paring with other devices, sending packets, sendingpayloads, sending IP addresses, relaying data or packets, receiving datafor display on a local screen, etc.

In another embodiment, the WCC device performs different functions basedon the environment surrounding the WCC device and/or depending on thetype of communication being sent or received by the WCC device. Forexample, the WCC device may perform different functions for one userthat is different than for another user, based on, for example, adetected user identity (i.e., biometric ID, password ID, code ID,gesture ID, etc.) or condition. In another embodiment, the WCC deviceperforms different functions based on the state of user input selection.In another embodiment, the WCC device performs different functions basedon a level of power available. In other embodiments, the WCC device mayselect and traverse code routines based on permutations of the above inwhole or part.

WCC device may initialize its state each activation cycle, perform aknown start state and perform initial function upon boot or activation,continue performance of a previously started function, repeatperformance of a function, or perform a new function. The WCC device mayalso operate in a persistent manner. In a persistent operation, the WCCdevice is able to store state data between activation cycles, includingactivation cycles in devices that exclusively use mechanical energyharvested, e.g., from a piezoelectric element.

In some embodiments, applications are hosted on servers, to provideaccess to applications (e.g., mobile APPs or websites), which receivecommunication related to output from WCC devices. In one embodiment, acloud system can include one or more processing servers, which may bedistributed. The cloud systems can include network storage for storinguser accounts. The user accounts can be associated with users that mayaccess services that are responsive to input or data received from WCCdevices. The cloud systems, in one embodiment, can be an end node. Anend node, for example, is a processing system or unit that executesprogram instructions for generating data, e.g., in response to inputreceived from the WCC devices or multiple WCC devices. In otherembodiments, the cloud system is configured to interface with APPsexecuted on smart devices, such as smartphones, tablets, laptops,computers, smart watches, and other internet connected devices orthings. In one configuration, a WCC device with associated with aphysical object, may make the use of that physical object an Internetconnected thing. Each physical object associated with a WCC device maybe thought of as a thing, such as those commonly referred to as“Internet of Things (IoTs)”.

There are many examples of physical objects that the WCC device can beintegrated into, coupled to, or interfaced with. One example is athermostat wheel with a WCC device, such that rotating wheel encodesinstruction data. In this example, a thermostat can include a rotatingwheel that, when rotated, is causing mechanical forces that aretransferred to the power pump of the WCC device. The power is stored, inone embodiment, in a storage cell. The power stored is used by thedevice, for example, to illuminate a screen. On one embodiment, thescreen can be a low power consuming screen. For example, the screen canbe an e-ink screen, which once illuminated remains illuminated withdisplayed data without further power consumption. In some embodiments,once the wheel is turned to the setting, e.g., temperature, the buttonis pressed or the entire wheel is pressed. The pressing (or also theturning) of the wheel further activates the power pump, which adds tothe power stored in the storage cell. The power stored in the storagecell is used by a processor, logic chip, or microcontroller to processthe input (i.e., to produce data or simply capture raw data), andinstruction the communication chip of the WCC to transfer data to an endnode, e.g., a predefined receiving computer over a network.

In another embodiment, a WCC device has an integrated display powered bysame mechanical force used to activate the transmission of data. In someembodiments, a WCC device will have an integrated display. The display,in one configuration, is a low energy bi-stable display. Bi-stabledisplays are commonly referred to as an E Ink screens and they willretain the displayed image even when all power sources are removed. Inpractice, this means that the display is consuming power only whensomething is changing. For example, when reading on an eReader, power isonly needed when turning to a new page but no power is consumed by thedisplay while reading the page. In one embodiment, this is mostnoticeable when an eReader goes into sleep mode yet there is still animage being displayed. By contrast, with a traditional LCD, the displayneeds to be refreshed around 30× per second, regardless of the whetheranything new is being displayed. Bi-stability significantly reduces thepower consumption of displays using E Ink and is a key reason eReadershave such long battery life.

In some embodiments herein, a WCC device having a bi-stable or othersimilar display uses the same power generated by the mechanical forceimparted on the power pump to power the display, and this same powerpump for transmitting device of the WCC device to enable the wirelesscommunication. In addition to use of a bi-stable display, a WCC may beequipped with or coupled to a bi-stable reflective display. Whenconfigured with a reflective display, a WCC does not necessarily need touse a backlight. Rather, ambient light from the environment is reflectedfrom the surface of the display back to the observer's eyes. As with anyreflective surface, the more ambient light, the brighter the displaylooks. This attribute mimics traditional ink and paper, and users of EInk displays have said that they do not have the same eye fatigue aswith LCDs when reading for long periods of time. Since backlights canalso consume up to 40% of the power used in electronic product,eliminating the need for a backlights is a significant advantage for WCCdevices configured to utilize pump power from mechanical force. In a WCCdevice configured with a bi-stable reflective display, once the data isset, the display can remain displaying the data, without further powerconsumption. In one example, if the user is setting a thermostat settingof 77 degrees, the value 77 will remain on the display even after thepower in the storage cell of the WCC has drained.

In some embodiments herein, a WCC device having a bi-stable or othersimilar display with integrated touch screen which uses the same powergenerated by the mechanical force imparted on the power pump to powerthe display, and this same power pump for transmitting device of the WCCdevice to enable the wireless communication.

In some embodiments herein, a WCC device having a bi-stable or othersimilar display with integrated touch screen and configured to provideremote control capability without the need for an internal WCC batteryor external power source coupled to the WCC. In such embodiments, theWCC has a user interface displayed on the screen that shows commands onthe screen which may be selected by the user. Commands available foruser activation may assimilate controls used in a TV remote control, anauto interior, airline passenger seat controls, thermostat, alarm panel,etc. Thus, controls may include but not be limited to traditionalON/OFF, volume, mode select, temperature select, window up or down, doorlock, channel select, dimmer switch, light ON/OFF etc. However, thecontrols may be customizable, labeled triggers linked to retrieve datafrom the Internet for display on the WCC display. In any case, thedisplay may be partitioned into one or more regions, based onpre-defined or dynamically defined commands, GUI. The partitions may beconfigurable to allow users or OEMs to customize the layout of thearrangements of commands on the touch screen. In any case, it isintended for embodiments of the WCC touch display control panel tooperate with access to sustained power, and for embodiments to operateexclusively using only the same power generated by the mechanical forceimparted on the power pump to enable the WCC functionality, and forembodiments that operate both with sustained power and with powergenerated by the mechanical force imparted on the power pump.

In one embodiment, the WCC includes a touch sensitive bi-stable screenthat is configured on a push-activated chassis. When a user places hisfinger anywhere on the screen to select an item or control displayed onthe screen they press down, causing the chassis holding the screen toalso depress, the movement resulting in power pump activation using ahammer force onto a piezoelectric element, causing the WCCmicrocontroller to engage in a function to scan or read the coordinatesoutput from the touch screen and to generate payload data designating atleast an indicia of the selected command.

Embodiments of the present disclosure, therefore, enable for remotedevice controls to be decoupled from wiring harnesses, and areparticularly useful given that a WCC can be configured to functionwithout the need for an internal WCC battery or external power source.In such configurations, the WCC device need not be hard-wired thecontrolled device. For example, the WCC touch screen push activateddevice can simply be glued or screwed to a wall at any location, or itcan be portable. When configured with bi-stable display, when the WCCpower pump energy is expired, the bi-stable screen provides the benefitof persisting the WCC output display information, input command GUIs orboth.

It should be stated that using bi-stable display, the screen may beupdated in response to a WCC activation cycle, using power pumpharvested energy. The screen update image may be generated by or storedlocally in the user activated WCC. The screen image may be updatedduring the initial or during secondary pump activation. The screenimage, or indicia of the screen image, display data or the like may alsobe received by the WCC from a remote device. In any case, the responseto the user selection can be formulated locally or by a remote orend-node including through a service provided via the Internet, or by acombination. A response to the user selection may include results inconnection with a user request associated with a command on a region ofthe touch screen, confirmation of command received and state of theremote device in connection with processing the command, retrieval ofnews, weather, or shipping status on items purchased, for example, onAmazon.com, etc. Another example use of a WCC device is in a forceactivated card reader.

In this example, the WCC device receives input force, outputs RFemission, receives RF coded emission, and sends data to an end node. Instill another example, a WCC device integrated with RFID reader uses apower pump to activate an RFID emission field for reading an RFID card.When a user pushes a button, the button triggers the power pump, causingactivation energy for reading and powering an RFID field. As typical inRFID readers, a tag placed in proximity to the WCC device uponactivation and causes RFID tag to be activated, resulting in the RFIDtag to reflect its ID. Using the harvested energy from the power pumpfurther, the WCC may engage in transmission of the ID to an end node.The end node, such as a server, can then determine to allow access. Insuch configurations, the WCC device need not be hard-wired to a securitycabinet or computer. The WCC device can simply be glued or screwed to awall at any location, or it can be portable.

In a further embodiment, an application for pairing to a WCC device isprovided. The WCC device, in this example, may have an integratedfingerprint reader. The fingerprint and Wi-Fi network may be paired, inone example.

In one embodiment, a Wi-Fi network is previously paired to a smartphone.In this embodiment, a smartphone APP allows a user pair a WCC devicehaving a fingerprint reader to the Wi-Fi network. The APP will alsoallow the user to pair to one or more control devices. The controldevices can be, for example, door knobs, door locks, locks, switches,etc. For example, if the WCC is a key fob with a fingerprint reader, theAPP can identify the key fob when the APP is in discovery mode, and theWCC device has been provided power by one or more presses of a buttonacted upon the power pump.

In some implementations, the APP can then transfer a user's fingerprintand Wi-Fi access to a Wi-Fi network that the smartphone currently hasaccess to (e.g., the user's home Wi-Fi). The WCC can then be usedwithout the smartphone as an access device. In the example of a doorlock, the user can use the key fob by pressing the key fob one or moretimes, which causes the fingerprint to be read, and then the Wi-Ficircuit of the WCC sends the fingerprint to a computer (local or cloud),which then sends instructions to the door lock, which enables unlocking.In one example, the unlocking is by way of verification of thefingerprint, which was captured by the WCC and sent to the end node(e.g., computer), which then verifies the fingerprint and unlocks thelock on the door. In this embodiment, the lock on the door is alsoconnected to the Wi-Fi network.

In some embodiments, the data sent by a WCC is encrypted. Encryption canbe implemented using any number of ways. Some ways include, for example,symmetric or asymmetric key encryption, public key encryption, messageverification, digital signature verification, message authenticationcodes (MAC), cryptographic software, hashing encryption, digitalencryption standards (DES), Asymmetric RSA, cryptographic hashfunctions, application layer encryption, session encryption, IP layerencryption, or combination of two or more thereof.

In some embodiments, a WCC device may be configured with a biometricsensor to enable a single push-button activation where one activationposture results in both the activation of the WCC and the reading of abiometric sensor. Such “one click” embodiments may operate solely on apower pump, without a battery, and enable, in the Internet of Things, orlocally, events indicating, for example i) user X pressed WCC Y buttonZ, ii) user X has temperature Y; iii) retinal scan X detected atsecurity access point (associated with) WCC Y, etc.

Sensors other than or in addition to a fingerprint sensor may beconfigured with a single pushbutton activation posture that results indetection and transmission of a condition of a user. User condition mayinclude, but not be limited to, any measurable metric associated withthe current condition of the user. For example, measurements may includeone or more of temperature, galvanic skin response, EKG, heart rate,pulse, duration of operation, etc. In one example, a user placesthemselves in a suitable position required for the selected biosensorand engages in the activation of the switch, resulting in power pumpactivation, reading and transmission of the biosensor.

In one embodiment, the WCC device can be housed in a portable device,which can be placed in any location. The housing may include a button orbuttons, which when pressed send coded data.

In one example, the button is on a housing that has a WCC device.Pressing the button activates the WCC and sends wirelessly a predefinedcode, e.g., order to a website for an item. In one configuration, inaddition to ordering, the button has a biometric sensor to enableidentification of the person making the order. For example, differentpeople in a home or location can have different privileges. So, based onuser ID, different privileges can be defined. The programming of user IDand privileges can be set on an APP or on a website. In someembodiments, the WCC device can be re-programmed for different items. Instill other embodiments, the button can have a dial, so you turn to #1detergent, turn to #2 coffee, turn to #3, diapers. Same device, samebutton, but different items. In another embodiment, it can be onebutton, two push, or double dial, so one push can select item andquantity. For example, the user can select what to order, e.g., from apredefined internet side, and also identify a quantity (e.g., coffee, 2packs).

In one embodiment, a WCC device is configured to operate to control anAC electrical outlet or light. The outlet may be configured to receiveor respond to commands initiated from the WCC device. Commands can berouted directly from the WCC device to the outlet or be routed to theoutlet through a controller. In one example, a Wi-Fi network may bepreviously paired to a smartphone. In one example, the controller or APPcan be configured to allow the user to pair a WCC to one or more controloutlets. WCC device may be configured to look and feel like atraditional rocker style light switch. Alternatively, traditional lightrocker switches may be modified to harness the mechanical energy fromphysically manipulating the switch ON and OFF or in between. The resultmay be, for example, configured as a passive, battery less, WCC devicecapable of becoming activated when the switch is activated.

Various techniques may harness the switch power. In one technique, oneor more hammer elements similar to a spark generator used in miniaturecigarette lighters are configured to indirectly activate through atranslation of the switch object. The force triggers the hammer tostrike an element, providing power pump upon switching the WCC device.Further, in one configuration, a WCC microcontroller (i.e., device thatcommunicates or takes commands from with the WCC device) is coupled toread the state of the WCC rocker light switch and transmit a payload(e.g., data or instructions) to a desired end node (e.g., a lightfilament, LED, bulb, etc.) capable of mimicking the function of thetraditional light switch (e.g., opening and closing AC power to thelight source).

A WCC light switch can be configured for new construction or retrofitprojects. In new construction, a home or business can be wired in acompletely new way, using WCC switches that do not pass AC power to thelight but rather initiates a wireless coded communication intended to bereceived by the remote light. In one embodiment, a hammer element,mechanical element or spark generator may be coupled to indirectlyreceive the strike force from the toggle switch when switched from OFFto ON. In another embodiment, a second hammer element spark generatormay be coupled to indirectly receive the strike force from the toggleswitch when switched in the opposite direction, from ON to OFF. In anycase, upon activation, the WCC reads the state of the toggle lightswitch to determine if it is open or closed.

For retrofit applications, a hot WCC light switch may be used withtraditional wiring schemes. In traditional wiring schemes, power to thelight or outlet is provided directly through gate in the switch, so theswitch is “hot” because it passes AC current. In a retrofit WCC lightswitch, the WCC switch flows electricity to the outlet as istraditionally done. A hot WCC light switch mimics the functionality oftraditional switches but adds detection and transmission of the state ofthe switch, after transitioning the switch from ON to OFF. The hot WCClight switch passes AC to the light or electrical socket as has beendone traditionally for a hundred years. “Reading” the state of a hotswitch using a microcontroller or logic in the WCC, given the existenceof high power, presents a marginal challenge. However, using its ownpower pump the switch state may detected indirectly by configuring theWCC to read the power output profile that is harvested through theswitch activation, where a distinguishable power profile is establishedwhen transitioning from ON to OFF state as compared to the power profilewhen the WCC is operated in reverse, from an OFF to ON state.

In one embodiment, this can be accomplished by dampening the hammerstrength of one of the two (or more) hammers, by using differentmaterials for each hammer, through industrial design choice in design ofthe switch mechanism, offsets, spacers, etc. Still other techniques maydetermine the direction or end state of a hot switch, including use of asecondary sensor photo-sensor, hall effect device, etc., that is read bythe WCC upon receiving pump power from switching (or other force input)and used to determine if the switch is open or closed. In anotherembodiment, power is tapped from the hot circuit to fuel reserve in apower cell that, in turn, provides energy to detect and transmit switchstate. In another example, a WCC switch is configured as a dimmer switchand used to control the amount of brightness that is commanded to theWi-Fi-enabled (or wireless enabled) light outlet. Currently, most dimmerswitches are hot, and instead of diverting energy from the light bulbinto a resistor, modern resistors rapidly shut the light circuit off andon to reduce the total amount of energy flowing through the circuit.

In one embodiment, the light bulb circuit is switched off many timesevery second. The switching cycle is built around the fluctuation ofhousehold electrical alternating current (AC). AC current has a varyingvoltage polarity—in a sine wave it fluctuates from a positive voltage toa negative voltage. The moving charge that makes up AC current isconstantly changing direction and in the United States, it goes throughone cycle (moving one way, then the other) 60 times a second. A moderndimmer switch “chops up” the sine wave. It automatically shuts the lightbulb circuit off each time the current reverses direction, i.e.,whenever there is zero voltage running through the circuit. This happenstwice per cycle, or 120 times a second. It turns the light circuit backon when the voltage reaches up to a threshold level, based on theposition of the dimmer switch's knob or slider. If the dimmer is turnedto a brighter setting, it will switch on very quickly after cutting off.In traditional hot dimmer switches, the circuit is turned on for most ofthe cycle, so it supplies more energy per second to the light bulb. Ifthe dimmer is set for lower light, it will wait until later in the cycleto turn back on. In accordance with the disclosed embodiments, a WCCdevice may be equipped with a cold dimmer. In a cold dimmer, the stateof the dimmer switch, typically a resistance value, is read uponreceiving the energizing power from the power pump and is transmitted,typically, along with the ID of the WCC switch and optionally a targetlight source.

In one embodiment, the target source ID is transmitted from the WCCswitch. In other embodiment, the target outlet is not transmitted fromthe switch but from a master controller that relays the desired stateand dim level to the appropriate outlet. In another configuration, WCClight switch operates in a passive, hot switching mode. In this mode, ACpower flows through the WCC switch to the light source or power outlet,as is typically done in existing household wiring systems. However, whenusing a WCC hot-AC switch, a wireless coded signal is generated uponpump activation, resulting in the additional function for establishingcontrol to other light sources not hardwired to the existing switch, andfor tracking and auditing activity in connection with the switch outlet.

In one embodiment, the wireless coded signal (i.e., data sent wirelesslyby the WCC device) may indicate the desired switch state upon transitionfrom ON to OFF. The wireless coded signal may also indicate, or maysolely indicate, other settings. Other settings may include but not belimited to a desired dim level, a desired color selection or a scenesetting. A hot or cold WCC-capable light switch may be used to directcontrol of electricity to one or more lights or power outlets.

In one embodiment, a bulb (traditional or LED), may be integrated with awireless chip, controller or transceiver or receiver. In one embodiment,the wireless coded transmission from a hot or cold WCC switch may bereceived directly by a hot (AC powered) light source. In thisconfiguration, the light source itself includes a wireless receiver andcircuitry enabling the bulb to respond to commands received from awireless transmission. Commands may include, but not be limited to, ONcommands, OFF commands, dim level, color selection, scene settingsincluding ones designating one or more light sources timing, fadeprofile, mood, color selection, etc.

In another embodiment, any traditional lightbulb may be used (a “dumb”bulb) to interface or interconnect with a smart ballast, socket,interface, coupler, interfacing chip, or the like. Having the capabilityto receive coded communication wirelessly from the WCC device (e.g., thetoggle switch, touch pad, selection dial, etc.) makes the bulb act as asmart device capable of integration with the Internet of Things, makingit pragmatic to track and control its state, engaging in programs forenergy efficiency and integration with various home automationframeworks where any control is received and responded to with a statechange in conformance to the control. Further, it should be understoodthat reference to bulb may refer to any device capable of illuminatingor producing light. This includes traditional light bulbs, LED lightsources, fluorescent lights, etc. In another embodiment, such wirelesscoded transmission may also be coupled to or received by a switched AClight source through a power distribution hub or ballast, or smart lightsocket. In any case, the hub, ballast or socket is equipped with orcoupled to a wireless receiver whose output is used to trigger controlto an AC relay to deliver or shunt output to socket pins housing thetargeted light source. Such device may utilize existing modern resistivechop methods for dimming a traditional light source. The housing mayoperate with traditional bulbs or modified bulbs having additional wiredor contactless coupling for signal transmission of color data or othersettings. It should be understood that the hot or cold WCC switches ofthe present disclosure may also be coupled to both AC or low voltage DClight sources.

These embodiments have broad applications, and some examples may beapplication to a socket, a plug, a light bulb with a Tx/Rx unit. Also,the switch can have predefined forces (i.e., high force for up, lowerforce for down), which will enable identification of ON/OFF.

In one example, a cold WCC light switch includes a reflective bi-stabletouch display that has regions for selecting commands including ON andOFF. The cold WCC light switch may also receive advertising that may bedisplayed.

As will be described below, WCC devices may also be paired to retailproduct shelves may provide additional product details to an APP orsmart device.

In some embodiments, a WCC may be issued to customers for temporarylocation identification and ordering of goods. For example, a WCC isissued to a person wishing to order a drink or food at a restaurant orbar. The user is provided with a WCC device, and the WCC device has adial that can be turned to identify the drink or food. Once the dial ispointing toward the drink or food, the user can press down on the dial,which causes selection of quantity. The quantity can identify, forexample, “1” for the drink or food; a second press changes to “2” forthe drink or food; a third press changes to “3”, etc. The WCC devicewill then send coded data to the end point (e.g., restaurant server),which places the order. In one embodiment, in addition to placing theorder, e.g., 3 drinks, the code can identify where in the restaurant theperson ordering is (e.g., location identification). In this manner, thewaitress or bartender an deliver the ordered drinks or food to theperson.

In some configurations, a WCC device may be embedded into a touch padstructure. A user may position a finger on the touchpad to designatecommands to a remote device, e.g., an end node. The touchpad may havefixed, removable, or custom printed regions that define commands for oneor more devices. Upon activation, the WCC device reads the coordinatesof the finger's location on the touch pad and transmits it to an endnode, repeater, or server. Activation may be accomplished using anactivation pump separate from the touch pad. Alternatively, the touchpadmay be mounted on a chassis that can be depressed. In the latter case,one finger can be used to select a specific region of the touch pad, andengage in activation of the WCC device, causing it to read and transmitstatus for “one touch” activation. The touchpad may be two dimensional,resulting in the detection of the user's finger on both the X and Ycoordinates on the pad, or is configured as a one dimensional linearpad. In another example, the touch pad may operate in a manner similarto the touch sensitive display embodiments and examples as previouslydescribed omitting the details pertaining to the dynamic displayfunction.

Acoustic feedback or sounds may be stored, received or triggered locallyor in response to a wireless signal received by a WCC in any embodimentsor applications described anywhere herein. Feedback may also beaugmented by LEDs when it is not practical or cost effective to includea display unit in any WCC configuration.

In some embodiments, different WCCs have different programmed uses.Based on the use, the user is able to program settings over time.However, over time, a pattern is detectable for specific users. Forinstance, User A likes to push button on Device A between 9 pm and 10 pmon weekdays. User B pushes Button B, to order goods on Thursdays. Instill another embodiment, a WCC device can have a screen that displaysadvertisements for goods. For example, if User B usually orders ProductA on Fridays before noon, an advertisement can be published back to theWCC screen, to enable one push selection and order. In one embodiment,the WCC device can have a simple housing, and the housing can be placedin any location. The housing can be placed around a home, e.g., nearareas where produces will need to be replenished. For instance, WCCdevices can be placed in the pantry. Several WCC devices can be placedin different locations, e.g., for soda, chips, flower, sugar, detergent,paper, soap, etc. When the user presses the WCC device, the WCC devicewill activate to send coded data to an end node, e.g., an online sellerof those goods. The use of these devices over time, for example, can belearned, and this learning can be used to supply discounts, coupons,advertisements, etc., back to the user, e.g., via a screen on the WCCdevice.

In one embodiment, one or more traditional or WCC controls may be placedon a WCC push down chassis. For example, traditional controls such as astandard rotary or linear potentiometer, rocker switch, dip switch, anyswitch or sensor, can be mounted on a single WCC chassis. The chassismay include a substrate upon which all the controls are mounted, and maybe push-activated to engage a power pump providing an energy source forthe WCC. In this embodiment, when activating the WCC device, all thecontrols on the chassis and the substrate they are mounted to aredepressed upon activation, the WCC can read the status of the variouscontrols and transmit the control state wirelessly to any end node,server or repeating node.

In one embodiment, radio frequency (RF) Power Harvesting may be used forperiodic update of a WCC display. For example, a WCC device captures RFpower. Over time, enough power is captured to WCC device, which allowsthe device can automatically reach out to an end node (e.g., server overa network) or automatically receive data. The data can be info toreceive data to show on the display, such as an advertisement, messages,texts, reminders, calendar updates, alerts, emergency notices, publicnotices, news, etc. This way, the WCC device can receive data, which isdisplayed. In another embodiment, instead of RF harvest, a user can pushonce to pull/download any coupons or discounts, then push a second time,which orders the product with the discount. These are just some ways toprovide inputs, and it should be understood that input methods can varydepending on the data and situation. For instance, input can be providedas voice input, fingerprint ID, image scanning, eye scans, gestureinputs, motion inputs, signature inputs, password inputs, buttonpresses, button dialing, sliding objects, pressing and sliding, lifting,pulling, depressing, pumping actions, multiple presses, taps, rubbing,gesturing and pressing, hand scanning, area scanning, image capture, orcombination of two or more thereof.

In one embodiment, a WCC device can operate as a thermometer. In oneexample, the user places the thermometer into a person's mouth. Whentemperature is reached, the user can press on the cap of thethermometer, which includes a WCC. The WCC sends the measuredtemperature to an account of the user of the thermometer. Thetemperature is thus saved with a time code of when the temperature wastaken. The data can also be shared with a doctor, transmitted to a cloudsystem, shared with other authorized persons, map out a history overtime, save to a history file, etc.

In one embodiment, a WCC device can operate as a portable blood monitor.In one example, the user places the WCC equipped with a near infrared orlaser sensor and upon activation, the WCC can perform non-invasive bloodglucose monitoring. The glucose reading may be saved with a time code ofwhen the reading was taken. The data can also be shared with a doctor,transmitted to a cloud system, shared with other authorized persons, mapout a history over time, save to a history file, etc.

In another example, the user places the WCC equipped with a blood sensorincluding but not limited to a MEMS viscometric sensor. Prior toactivation a user pricks blood and exposes the blood to the WCC bloodmeter, and then upon activation, the WCC scans an attribute of theblood. The scanned reading may be processed locally or remotely. It maybe transmitted with a time code of when the reading was taken. The datacan also be shared with a doctor, transmitted to a cloud system, sharedwith other authorized persons, map out a history over time, save to ahistory file, etc. In yet another WCC blood monitor, a WCC “easy as1-2-3” blood monitor device may include a retractable lancet.

On a first press of the WCC, the action force may cause a lancet needlein the WCC to be exposed while a pulse of energy is provided to thepower pump. On a second press of the WCC button, a diagnostic strip isplaced into the device and on a third press of the WCC, the user'sfinger, priced by the lanced, is coupled to the test strip to expose ablood sample where the test strip is read by the WCC. The scannedreading may be processed locally or remotely. A lancet may or may not beintegrated in the WCC blood monitor. A lancet may be integrated into theblood monitor but be a replaceable component. A lancet cartridge mayalso be coupled to the WCC blood meter enabling a user to rotate thecartridge to get a fresh lancet each sample. Data payload may betransmitted with a time code of when the reading was taken. The data canalso be shared with a doctor, transmitted to a cloud system, shared withother authorized persons, map out a history over time, save to a historyfile, etc.

In one embodiment, the WCC device is a medical device which has a sensorto qualitatively and/or quantitatively detect bodily fluids. In oneembodiment, the fluids can be blood. In one configuration, the analysiscan identify a condition of the blood or of the person. Further, oncethe blood is captured, the blood can be analyzed by circuitry of theWCC, processed and results sent to a doctor or to a user's smart device.In other embodiments, WCC devices can be disposable. In otherembodiments, the devices can replaced or replenished or reconditioned.For instance, the part that touches human fluids is replaceable, whileother parts, e.g., such as electronics and communication devices remain.In other embodiments, the WCC can be defined by two parts. One part isthe disposable part and the other part is the receiving part. In oneconfiguration, disposable part is clipped or connected to thenon-disposable part. In one embodiment, monitoring of blood or someother body fluid can be used for early detection of disease. In oneembodiment, drugs or drug metabolites can be delivered by a WCC. Forinstance, in a second step, based on the text results, the device candeliver an amount of medicine. In some embodiments, the WCC can do bothmonitoring, testing, sampling or one or more thereof, and then anotherdevice or the same WCC can deliver a drug. In some embodiments, the WCCcan have portion, e.g., a receiver that is implantable and a portionthat wirelessly communicates with the implantable part. In this manner,there is no need for invasive blood drawing. In this configuration, animplantable device can communicate with a WCC device or the WCC devicecan be the implantable part, and force application to the skin (e.g., ifthe device is located near the skin), the force acts to activate thesensing of the blood or fluid.

In another embodiment, an insulant pump can be provided. For instance, auser can press one or more times to a device that connects to a pump,which is under the skin. For example, a catheter under the skin candeliver insulin, based on the needs of a patient. A WCC activated devicecan test for blood sugar, or other parameters and then deliver a rightamount of insulin and at the specific times needed. In one embodiment,the WCC can collect data of use or activity of the user or state of theblood or condition of the user. This data can be transmitted wirelesslyto a mesh network and then transferred to an end node. Still further,the delivery of other medicine can be triggered, regulated and/ormonitored from a remote location. A doctor or caregiver can then examineand communicate with people. In one embodiment, these WCC devices can beWCC enabled Wireless Medical Telemetry Systems (WMTS), which are usablein the medical field. In some embodiments, the Food and DrugAdministration (FDA) governs the use and administers the regulations. Insome embodiments, WCC devices of these types can be used for sampling inbiological fluids. In some embodiments, without limitation, biologicalfluids include but are not limited to blood, serum, urine, gastric anddigestive juices, tears, saliva, stool, semen, and interstitial fluidsderived from tumorous tissues.

In some embodiments, fluid can be removed by medical device is broughtinto contact with a microarray which samples bodily fluids. Fluid may bereleased from the medical device and can contain therapeutic agent(s)released in response to the presence or absence of a particular analyte.In some embodiments, bodily fluid movement into or out of the medicaldevice is facilitated by a pump, such as a microfluidic or osmotic pump.In another embodiment, molecular transport is conducted throughpressurized microfluidic lanes which cause fluids to flow over amicroarray. In yet another embodiment molecules may be transported bynatural electric currents conducted by Personal Area Network (PAN)transmitters or piezoelectric or magnetic sensors. These sensors andelectrical devices can be integrated or interfaced with a WCC device. Inanother embodiment, a laser can burn tissue and the smoke can beanalyzed. The WCC interfaces with the laser and burner and samples thesmoke to determine data.

In another embodiment, a WCC is configured with a Surface PlasmonResonance (SPR) sensor capable of reading a variety of biomarkers andused to detect disease, infection, water quality, cancers, bacteria, orenvironmental toxins in a liquid sample. A WCC is configured with aSurface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) sensor doped with a thin layer ofGraphene material. The Graphene layer may be as thin a single atom.Graphene is configured to adhere to one or more biomarkers, toxins orbacteria. A user of the WCC SPR sensor places a drop of sample in agraphene doped test strip. The strip may include capillary channels tobring the blood sample into a target region of the strip. Uponactivation of the WCC power pump, an optical quality metric is read inconnection with the test strip. In one embodiment, a WCC scans thesample using the power pump energy and provides an indication of aresult. The result may be indicated locally or transmitted remotely, orboth. A payload containing activation sample reference may be processedlocally or remotely. Payload data characterizing or containing an imageof the sample may be transmitted with a time code of when the readingwas taken. The data can also be shared with federal regulators,environmental commission, medical insurance companies, doctor, coupledto air control systems, water valve shutoffs, etc. The payload data maybe transmitted to a cloud system, shared with other authorized persons,map out a history over time, save to a history file, etc. In oneembodiment graphene strips are configured into regions where each regionis capable of adhering to a different marker, such that one sample canbe tested for multiple conditions.

In one embodiment, a WCC includes the capability to estimate yourblood-alcohol level using a breathalyzer sensor. In this example, a userpresses a first button of the WCC power pump then blows into the port onthe WCC breathalyzer, then completes the activation cycle by pressing asecond press of the power pump. In one embodiment, the WCC reads thevalue of an integrated semiconductor oxide-based tester. In anotherembodiment the WCC reads the value of a fuel cell, which measuresalcohol content by creating a chemical reaction that oxidizes thealcohol in the sample and produces an electrical current proportional tothe amount of alcohol that is oxidized or present in the sample. The WCCscans the sample using the power pump energy and provides an indicationof a result. The result may be indicated locally or transmittedremotely, or both. A payload containing activation sample reference maybe processed locally or remotely. Payload data characterizing orcontaining an image of the sample may be transmitted with a time code ofwhen the reading was taken. The data can also be shared insurancecompany, with a doctor, coupled to a car access system, coupled to a caraccess system where the car detects the user identity using a biometricsensor on the steering wheel and compares the identity of the usercontaining the sample, and determines if the user is safe to operate thevehicle, etc. The payload data may be transmitted to a cloud system,shared with other authorized persons, map out a history over time, saveto a history file, etc.

In some embodiments, WCC devices can be integrated into differentobjects, devices, structures or physical objects. When such devices moveor are caused to move, a WCC device can be made trigger. Withoutlimitation, example devices may include airline seats, airline traytables, airline overhead compartments, doors, stadium food ordering,stadium seats, dials, chairs, tables, doors, garages, cars, bikes, motorcars, electric cars, luggage, desks, boxes, tools, power tools, etc.

In one embodiment, WCC devices can be used for item ordering in retailstores. For example, a user presses buttons in store to select items.When users are done, the items are collected in back for the user, andpackaged for the user to take with him/her. This allows the user to seeitems in store, feel them, test them, and if the user wishes to buy, theitem is selected by pressing a WCC at the shelf, which allows the userto buy. Buying can also include predefined accounts, which can bematched to the user. The accounts can be linked to a credit card ordigital form of payment. In this embodiment, users would not need acart, since the items are collected by staff. This feature if alsouseful for purchasing large items, such as hardware store items thatcannot be lifted easily or accessed. By pressing a button, a user cansimply collect the items, which may be paid and loaded in a vehicle forthe user. In stores or bars, items for purchase can be associated withWCCs with button or dial having product selection “one click” activationposture to engage in a purchase—where a fingerprint sensor is coupled toWCC power pump, causing transmission of item details and a paymentrequest to an end node or router at the retail outlet secure paymentservice where the previously registered user is detected and his accountis debited for the amount of the purchased item. The retail outlet mayutilize such a system to go cashier-less, where security RFID or similartags are placed on items and when a shopping cart passes throughsecurity, the group of items are scanned by the RFID reader and comparedagainst the batch of products purchased by a user. In one example of acashier-less WCC embodied marketplace, the user is required to providetheir identity prior to exiting the store with goods.

In one embodiment, a WCC device may be used for retail confirmation ofadherence to a diet. For example, a user presses buttons in store shelfto review structured criteria concerning item contained next the button.An APP obtains the universal product code (UPC) of product under reviewand checks the product characteristics against pre-set criteria. Thisconfiguration can be supported by a hands-free mode of operation whereaudio or haptic feedback response is provided to the user to indicatethat the product did or did not meet the pre-established criteria. Avideo, audio or haptic signal indication of the characteristics of theproduct attribute may also be sent to the user's watch, or smartphone ordevice via a wireless transmission by the WCC device. In thisembodiment, the end node is a user standing proximate to the WCC device,wherein information can be displayed on a device of the user. Thiscommunication can by via Bluetooth LE, for example, or wirelesspeer-to-peer, or via a wireless mesh network, or other wireless networksor protocols, as described in this disclosure.

In one embodiment, a WCC device may have an environmental sensor. In oneexample, a WCC device may be equipped with environmental or biologicalsensor that is read upon activation of power pump. Sensor data may besent to a paired APP or transmitted to a remote server for cloud-basedanalysis.

In one embodiment, a WCC device can use various networks of nodes toenable routing through intermediary nodes or always-on-devices. Forexample, a WCC may be coupled to control a remote device through directcommunication, through relayed communication using a phone, or through aserver. A sleeping device may periodically wake up using a watchdogtimer to check status of wireless wake-up signals. The frequency andduration of the wake-up period of any device depends on several factors,including whether the device under control is operating under dedicatedpower supply or a battery. Often when a wake-up signal is sent to asleeping device, the wake up signal is burst in a long repeat pulsetrain to ensure that the signal is detected during the period in which awatchdog timer is alert. Robust communications can be establishedbetween a WCC and an end device by routing signals through an always-ondevice such as a phone or dedicated server, to the end device seeking tobe controlled. Such “man-in-the-middle” routing schemes can bebeneficial as always-on powered devices act as intermediary for signalrepeating during long sleeping periods of a watchdog timer. In oneembodiment, when an intermediary signal repeater receives a singlecommand from a WCC, it can engage in a longer communication dialog withthe end device than otherwise is generally possible using the power pumpactivation cycle of the WCC. This can enable the intermediary repeatingdevice to send redundant signals, wait to get a confirmation from thedevice under control to confirm it has received the command, and ensurereliable communications in general.

In still other embodiments, a WCC device can be integrated into a streetcrossing (sensor). For example, a WCC device may be coupled in a citystreet or sidewalk on ground or raised on a pole, enabling a pedestrianseeking to cross the street to engage a pedestrian safety system. Forexample, by stepping with foot or pushing by hand, upon activation, theWCC device transmits a coded communication to a safety system capable ofengaging in various functions to enable the safe crossing of thepedestrian across the avenue. Such safety system may optionally beconfigured to enable a user having an APP trigger the samefunctionality, but without the need for WCC.

In one embodiment, a WCC device is used as a mailbox state detector. Incertain circumstances it may be desirable to enable security andtracking of access to a mail box. A hinge-state activated WCC may becoupled to a mailbox to enable various security-related functions. Forexample, the hinge-activated WCC, upon engagement, may transmit a codedcommunication signal to a desired endpoint, notifying the owner ormanager of the mailbox that the mailbox has been opened. This isespecially useful because it allows the owner to receive a signal thatmail has arrived, for example. Another use for a hinge-coupled WCCattached to a mailbox, is for capturing a photo of a user opening thebox.

In some circumstances, it may be desirable to couple an imaging deviceto a WCC. In such configuration, the WCC, upon activation, may take asnapshot photo and transmit a coded message to a desired endpoint. Thephoto may be stored locally on the WCC for later retrieval, or in somecases when sufficient pump activation power is available, the WCC maytransmit the photo to a desired end point.

In one embodiment, a WCC device may be part of or connected to a doorbell. In one example, a WCC enabled doorbell enables wireless,battery-less ability to couple to remote chime indoors, to APP runningon phone, server or any desired endpoint. In some embodiments, thedoorbell button may also have a fingerprint reader, which may identifythe user. Once the user is identified, such as by name or some ID, theidentity of the person that is at the door can be communicated to aperson inside or to the owner of the home, whom may be away. This datacan be, for example transmitted to an end node, such as a server, andsome embodiments, the server can notify the home owner via a message,notification, web link, app, or the like.

In another embodiment, a short range WCC device for local broadcast ofdata to user devices is provided. In one embodiment, a WCC device thathas a short range wireless device can be enabled to transmit coded data,e.g., with is predefined data. The short range wireless chip, in oneembodiment, is a Bluetooth LE transceiver. The WCC device will storebroadcast data in response to receiving power from the power pump. Inone embodiment, the WCC device is placed in a retail store andassociated to some product or service. The broadcast data is programmedand stored in memory of the WCC device. When power sufficient to triggeractivation of the WCC device is harnessed (e.g., from one or more forceactivations, or presses), the WCC device will temporarily pair to a userdevice that is proximate to the WCC device.

In one embodiment, the broadcast data may be, for example, productinformation, discounts, pricing, links to more information, images, andgenerally data that provides more information regarding the product orservice that the WCC device is associated to. In one embodiment, if theWCC device is attached to or located proximate to a store shelve where agood is being displayed for sale, the WCC device placed proximate to thegood sends broadcast data to the user's device, e.g., a smartphone. Theuser can thus receive more information regarding the good or service,and may even allow the user to order the good or service or pay for thegood or service. In one embodiment, if the user pays for the good orservice via an online payment, the user can pick up the good or servicefrom the shelf and leave the store w/o stopping at the cash register. Inone embodiment, the WCC device can use various forms or protocols forthe wireless communication, so long as the data can be transmitted to anend node (e.g., in this case it is the user device standing in front ofthe device).

In one embodiment, a WCC device is useable as an air pressure thresholddetector. For example, a WCC with T-tap for detection of any liquid orair pressure that exceeds a preset value. In one embodiment, WCC may bespring loaded for setting a trip threshold.

In one embodiment, a WCC device can be spring loaded. For instance, apreloaded spring allows much less activation force but needs to bemanually reset upon activation may be used for food and beverageprocessing, industrial, food vending machines, store racks, arrays ofitems on racks, etc.

In some embodiments, a WCC device can be integrated into a tool, poweredor not powered. In powered AC tool, a hot WCC switch can be coupled toON/OFF trigger of the power tool, to allow simple wireless tracking andtransmission of real-time power tool status, useful for example, tointegrate into workplace safety and worker productivity trackingsystems. In one embodiment, it is possible to log the time of tooloperation. An owner can then keep a log of use of the tool and the toolreplacement time, or predict when to replace the tool or a disposableelement of the tool (such as a vacuum bag, a drill bit, a saw blade,etc.). In one example, as tools that are used more it is possible totrack so they can be pro-actively replaced based on use. In one example,a contractor can track all of his tool on multiple job sites, e.g., todetermine where the tool is being used and the length of time or timesthe tool is used to perform a task. In one embodiment, a WCC on toolboxat job site notifies when (opened) tools are accessed. A WCC may be usedfor alerting a watch, cellphone or any endpoint the opening of a chest,toolbox, or any asset, including those assets on a job site, that thechest or toolbox was opened.

In one configuration a power tool may be equipped with a hot or cold WCCswitch. A simple hot WCC switch operates as a typical power switch,where AC or DC current flows to or through the switch depending on thestate of the switch, using traditional SPDT or any known wiringconfiguration. A hot WCC switch provides wireless functionality inaddition to operating as a gate for flowing or closing AC or DC power,or any signal or power source, optical or electromagnetic. In oneexample, a WCC is activated by pump energy harvested through themechanical actuation of the power tool. The power tool may be powered onand off using the traditional wiring, or a variant thereof. The variantwiring for the power tool may allow a DC current to flow back to the WCCswitch, enabling a power source for the WCC switch, enabling it toperform the various functions of maintaining a mesh network, as providedherein.

In one embodiment, a WCC device can be integrated or coupled toweight-threshold measurement. For instance, a WCC activates upon a forcebeing applied beyond a threshold, useful for determining whether adevice such as a forklift or wheelbarrow is operating under its intendedOSHA and manufacturer-recommended weight limits. In one example, aplatform has a compression spring used that allows for a predicabledisplacement of a load based on weight and a power pump is coupled tothe platform. When a weight is applied to the platform, the platformapplies a force to the compression spring, causing a force onto a hammermember in a power pump. For example, a hammer-based voltage generatorsimilar in operation to a BBQ spark generator may provide activationpower when tripped, and tripping of which occurs when the desired weightthreshold (based on the platform weight, the compression spring) isexceeded. Upon activation, the WCC weight threshold detector may signala transmission payload to a remote safety system, alarm etc. Thetransmission may indicate the WCC associated with the weight fault, maycause notification, or perform shutoff or a controlled series ofoperation to safely decommission the equipment subject to the weightfault.

In one embodiment, a WCC device is an authentication system for securelyaccessing systems. In simple authentication, a WCC device can be aportable password storage device. For example, a WCC key fob may beconfigured with user authentication data and, upon manual activation ofits power pump, transmit the user authentication data to a wireless USBreceiver configured to operate as a PID keyboard. In this example, auser may operate their keyboard as normally but when needing to enter apassword, they can simply click the WCC authenticator and it transmitsthe user authentication data which is injected into the keyboard inputchannel just as if the user typed it in using the keyboard.

In alternative user authentication scheme using WCC, a user may besubject to a challenge-response where user is prompted to engage in aspecific activation pump profile of the WCC. For example a secure servermay request a specific random ID to be entered in order to gain access.The server provides the number to the user and the user is required topulse the WCC in a pattern to indicate the access number, similar tomorose code, where the response to the challenge is made by the userpressing the WCC pump once with a short delay to increment the firstdigit and a long delay between digits. For example, 2412 would beentered“pump(short)pump(long)pump(short)pump(short)pump(short)pump(long)pump(long)pump(short)pump”.This particular method for entering input data to a WCC using a singlepushbutton may be used across any embodiment in this application.

A primary benefit of the WCC authenticator is that it saves passwords orauthentication data and only allows transmission of the data whenphysically triggering the device. In addition, the WCC authenticator mayhave biometric user identification and operate directly to reach tolocal or network devices, including the cloud, to engage in multipleschemes of security.

Another embodiment of the WCC authenticator uses a secondary device suchas a cell phone to receive WCC authentication payload when activatingthe WCC. In this example, the secondary device may take additionalrequest such as a site specific password or requests a fingerprint ormaster password of the user, or the secondary device may check itsgeolocation to determine if the device is being used in a knownlocation, such as the user's house, or the secondary device may requestnothing of the user or take no additional precautions. In any case, thesecondary device forwards the payload to either the requested secureresource or to another add credential to the authentication.

A passive device such as the WCC authenticator will have a safetyfeeling as users know it has no ambient power source so it can't easilybe hacked. Master or site specific passwords, code, authenticationtokens, public, private keys or other authentication criteria may besafely stored on the WCC without risk of tampering. WCC dials andsettings may select an authentication service or site for which accessis sought. WCC transmission payload will include associated credentialsor sequence necessary to engage in the designated scheme for access tothe site. WCC typical in this use will be energized only upon manualactivation of power pump. When activating, the WCC transmits theauthentication data to a receiver, typically a host PC or cell phone,router or any end-node.

A WCC authentication device may be coupled with a biometric fingerprintsensor to enable the detection of a master user in connection withtransmission payload to the target resource, URL or end node. AsymmetricUAF authentication schemes may be used where the biometric sensor userdata is used to identify to register and authenticate biometricsignatures with a corresponding UAF verification server on premise or onthe cloud. Symmetric biometric one time password schemes may also beused where biometric tokenization handshake is made between the WCC anda host to enable access. In another WCC authentication scheme, a WCC maybe configured as a Universal 2nd Factor (U2F) hardware authenticator. Inanother series of schemes, the YubiKey line of authentication schemesare improved upon, whereby the YubiKey dongle is eliminated and the WCCoperates to mimic each version of YubiKey but whereas, upon activation,a wireless transmission to a YubiKey server is called directly from theWCC. In this improvement, further security can be added using WCC withfingerprint sensor and multi-tier authentication.

Authentication credentials may be entered into the WCC authenticator invarious inventive ways, including through wireless encryptedcommunication portals, etc. But the premise of the WCC authenticator isthat it is largely a decoupled passive device, hack-proof, in that it'snot plugged in or active unless it is physically triggered. Therefore,entering user credentials into a WCC authenticator is preferably doneusing a process that is disconnected from computers or phones that mayhave malware, spyware, keyloggers. Etc. In one embodiment, a WCCauthenticator includes a USB port enabling a keyboard to be connected.The WCC has a setting for learn or use mode and dial for selecting oneof several popular websites or custom URLs. The user enters a passwordcredentials for a specific URL by first selecting the website or URLusing the WCC dial and then he presses the activation power pump one orseveral times to activate the WCC in learn mode. Using the keyboard, theuser types their username followed by their password at least one time.Using the keyboard as in the above example, the user would enter theusername and password for the selected site. Upon pressing enter, theWCC may transmit the credentials, causing the credentials to be tested,and provide feedback to the user to indicate that access to the site wassuccessful.

In one embodiment, a WCC detects absence or presence of plug coupled toAC outlet. For example, a WCC may be coupled into an AC outlet andconfigured to trigger upon the insertion, de-insertion or upon both theinsertion and de-insertion of a plug into an outlet. In one embodiment,the WCC hammer spring is mechanically set through the insertion force ofthe plug into the outlet and held in place by a latch. When the plug isreleased, the latch disengages, causing the WCC hammer to activate thepump energy, triggering the WCC to engage in a coded communicationtransmission to a desired end point. This can be particularly useful fornotifying that a device has been unplugged. In situations such as a datacenter or hospital, for example, the WCC may be integrated into a systemcapable of tracking equipment status and thus be able to determine if adevice was unplugged inadvertently, and if so, engage in remedyprocedures such as transmission of appropriate alert messages, texts,emails etc. to ensure that sensitive equipment, including but notlimited to servers, life-support systems etc. remain in the desiredpowered-on state.

In one embodiment, a WCC device can be integrated into things, such as adishwasher, a wine cellar door, a washing machine, a vacuum, etc. Anydevice can have a WCC integrated or interfaced therewith. The WCC cantrack simple state (open/closed) or more complex use data of the deviceover time. For instance, and without limitation, a WCC may be coupled toa flush handle of a toilet or urinal to trigger a flush activity for acommercial toilet and/or be used to track the amount of activity andrelated water use of a toilet. The WCC can then, upon activation, senddata to an end node.

In one embodiment, a WCC device can be coupled to connectable pipesdetects when pipes may get accidentally decoupled. For example,detecting when items become decoupled can be critical for someenvironments, such as manufacturing, hospitals, construction sites, etc.In one configuration, a WCC is strapped between two items, e.g., pipesor wires or lines or connectors. If the items become decoupled, the WCCdevice can send out a coded signal to an desired endpoint. The items canhave sensitive material flowing or connected, and this can provide aninstant trigger, which is powered by the power pump of the WCC—when thedisconnect happens. That is, the force of the disconnect itself canharvest power via the power pump to activate the WCC device to send thecoded data to an end node over a wireless network.

In one embodiment, a WCC energized by liquid flow for in-vivo flowmetering is provided. For example, a WCC is equipped with a spinningdynamo propeller made of food-safe silicon or stainless steel andmounted inside a pipe coupling or conduit. When liquid passes throughthe pipe or conduit, the propeller spins to generate power pumpactivation, and spins at a rate proportional to the liquid flow rate.Upon activation, spin rate is captured and can be coded into the payloaddata transmitted by the WCC device. In other example,

In one embodiment, a vibration detector with pre-loaded WCC device isprovided. In certain embodiments, a WCC may be manually or automaticallypre-conditioned by applying partial loading on a spring hammer prior toactivation. The loading will enable the WCC to gear an activation force.Force gearing will establish a more powerful strike activation thanforce normally required to trigger a full activation without preloading.Preloading a WCC is beneficial for applications that provide a powerfulstrike with little activation energy, similar to a mousetrap. One usefor preloaded WCC includes a vibration detection WCC module or circuit.The WCC vibration detection module uses pre-loaded hammer for detectionof an activation vibration. Activation vibration that falls beyond athread hold will trigger the WCC to engage in activation, causing it tosend out a coded signal to a desire endpoint, repeater, or server. Theactivation vibration model may be contained in a housing. The housingmay be designed at a resonant frequency to maximize sensitivity of theWCC to specific frequency cutoff.

In one embodiment, Array of Pre-loaded Sound Sensors are interfaced withone or more WCC devices. In an embodiment, a WCC device includes anarray of sounds sensors. The sound sensors are spring loaded when set,and based on the sound that is received by one or more of the sensors inthe array, the spring load of that sensor is released. The release of aspring is tied to a specific output sent by the WCC transmitter. In oneembodiment, the WCC with the array of sensors is coupled to a doorhinge. When the door is closed, all sensors are re-set (i.e., thesprings are loaded). When the door is open, the WCC array is listeningfor sound. So if someone opens the door, the loaded WCC listens, anddepending on the sound received, one or more signals are sent out by theWCC.

In one configuration, sound capture upon WCC activation. For example, aclip of voice or sound is captured and sent to a destination. Thecapture can happen upon trigger. For example, when someone opens a door,the sound is captured. If someone rings a doorbell, the sound iscaptured and sent; if someone opens a refrigerator, the WCC is triggeredand the sound is captured.

In one embodiment, a WCC device can be integrated with a traffic flowsensor. In one example, a WCC may be coupled in-line with an air or gasfilled tube having two segments at different pressures and laid across aroadway, for vehicle detection. When a vehicle drives over the tube, apredictable volume of air is displaced from the first section by thetire crushing the first section of the tube, forcing air to flow acrossthe WCC triggering the WCC to switch, and forcing a surplus of pressureon the second side of the tube. The second side of the tube, whichnormally has a greater ambient pressure than the first portion of thetube but not enough to cause the WCC to switch back in the originaldirection, is able to automatically switch back when a car passes over,due to the additional pressure received from transferring acrosssections, resulting in the switch to reset itself when the tire releasesitself from the first portion of the tube. Data from the WCC device isthen sent to an end node.

In one embodiment, a passive WCC glass-break detector is provided. Inone embodiment, a WCC device is coupled to a window and preconditioned,by manually compressing a spring loading to set, is activated upon avibration where the spring load of that sensor is released to causedevice activation. The release of a spring is tied to a specific outputsent by the WCC transmitter. In one embodiment, the WCC is integratedinto home or business security system and used for alarm trigger. Inother embodiments, when a fire hose is accessed by breaking the glass,the coded communication is sent. In one configuration, the transmissionof the coded communication is possible via a wireless device withoutpower. In instances where a building is burning, it may be that power isno longer available. For this reason, the self-power harnessing of theWCC power pump enables this communication in various emergencysituations.

In one embodiment, a WCC Beacon with X,Y,Z coordinate Tracking isprovided. For example, a WCC may be equipped to trigger, uponactivation, a simultaneous deliver a light speed signal and slower timeof flight signal to a receiving base with one or more receivers forreceiving the time of flight signal for determination of the spatialposition and orientation of the WCC beacon. Alternatively, the WCC maybe equipped with one or more photo detectors and used in an environmenthaving a scanning laser for at least one, by preferably two axis. Thelasers may be modulated or strobed to enable the WCC to read and capturea slice of signal coded from the laser. The WCC returns the read andcaptured coded signal back to a base station capable of determining theposition of the WCC with respect to the one or more axis.

In one embodiment, a classroom desk-attached WCC device is provided. AWCC may be attached to a desk to allow a student to raise a hand orselect an answer to a multiple choice question.

In one embodiment, a pre-loaded WCC for smoke detector bridge isprovided. Existing smoke detector may be integrated into a homeautomation system by coupling a preloaded sound activated WCC in closeproximity to a smoke alarm whereby activation of the legacy alarm causestrigger of the WCC, prompting the WCC to send a coded communicationsignal to a desired endpoint. This enables existing houses with existingpre-wired smoke detectors to link into home and fire safety systems.

In one embodiment, a WCC Panic Button is provided. A WCC may be coupledto, for example, a school cafeteria, locker room, church, restroom toenable a simple accessible means for alerting authorities for foodallergic reaction or situation requiring call for help whereby thesystem could deter predatory behavior.

In one embodiment a WCC rodent trap is provided. In one example, insituations where health standard require immediate quick control ofvermin, a WCC mouse/rat/animal or drone trap can email, text or notifyuser immediately upon activation of a trap so that the trap can beremoved or reset, depending on whether the trap was activated withoutsuccess, or trap resulted in a successful catch.

In one embodiment, a WCC backup to wired beacon is provided. Forexample, a WCC may present itself as a secondary source or backup to awired beacon in various scenarios including but not limited to scenariosrequiring backup, scenarios where the potential for failure of a primarywired/powered system would result in significant risk, loss of life,loss of asset value, loss of compliance to contract, etc.

In one embodiment, a WCC with Photo Capture is provided. In one example,a pre-loaded or standard WCC may be coupled to a CCD or otherwise devicecapable of capturing a visible light, infrared, or thermal image of ascene. The WCC may perform and forward the image to a desired end pointby sending a coded communication stream or burst, or clip or photo.Alternatively, the WCC may be perform local mage analysis, objectdetection or otherwise locally process the image resulting in alightweight data structure which may be transmitted by the WCC in acoded communication stream to a desired end point. In somecircumstances, the WCC may remain active after transmission of the datastream to receive a return signal indicating additional analysis thatmay be required by the desired endpoint. In which case, the WCC willperform the additional analysis and transmit the result set to same or adifferent endpoint. The desired end point for the second transmissionmay be encoded in the return from the original end point receiving theinitial result set or image.

In one embodiment, a projected WCC energized by wind turbulence isprovided. In one example, a WCC may be embedded into a housing designedto be projected in the air. Based on the shape and form factor, the WCCwill engage in a trajectory of flight but will also have a spin orchange in orientation according to the effect of the wind stream passingthe housing. In this embodiment, the WCC utilizes the spinning motion toenergize an pump energy or power harvesting device. The WCC can furtherbe equipped with any sensor capable of sampling and transmitting datapertaining to its environment. Such sensors may be environmental sensorsable to detect biological agents, gas, chemicals in the air, weather,rain, wetness, dryness, etc. The WCC sensors may be disposable anddropped from airplane, shot from a projectile, released from aprojectile, etc.

In another embodiment, a WCC faucet for dispensing liquid is provided. AWCC may be formed into a housing shaped as a kitchen or bathroom sinkfaucet handle. When the WCC faucet handle is turned to the expected ONstate, the WCC converts the mechanical energy from the movement of thefaucet into pump energy, causing the WCC to engage in a codedcommunication signal transmission to a desired end point such as a homeautomation server, APP, or directly to a solenoid-actuated valve havinga receiver. In one embodiment, the home automation server or APP,according to its intended water conservation program, may deliver acoded communication to the solenoid-actuated valve, commanding the valueto go from the closed to the open state, causing the water or liquid toflow through the valve. In one configuration, a WCC water dispensingsystem may be configured in a separate housing but likely a shortdistance from the WCC faucet control. In one embodiment, thesolenoid-based water valve may be triggered for a programmed durationupon receive of an activation signal or may receive a secondary signalto turn off, or both.

In one embodiment, WCC devices can be used for user identity detection.For example, fingerprint or other biometric unit may be configured withan integrated field generator unit and configured to enable a singlepushbutton activation posture that results in detection and transmissionof the user identity. A fingerprint or any biometric sensor capable ofuniquely identifying the user is, in one example configuration, mountedto top edge of the movable portion of the switch chassis. The user makescontact with the identity sensor using a finger and presses to motion ormanipulate engagement of the switch mechanism, resulting in the creationof the activation field. In one embodiment, the activation field may bebuffered through an actuator or power pump to provide energy to activethe biometric unit, resulting in the biometric unit creation of a datastructure uniquely identifying the user causing the activation of theswitch. In some embodiments, a microcontroller or other circuit may beused to couple the output of the identification data structure to atransmission unit. In still other embodiments, the unit may be equippedwith ROM storing a switch ID. The switch ID is preferably transmitted bythe transmission unit along with the user identification data.

In other embodiments, user biofeedback transmission is provided. Abiometric unit may be configured with an integrated field generator unitand configured to enable a single pushbutton activation posture thatresults in detection and transmission of a condition of a user. Usercondition may include, but not be limited to, any measurable metricassociated with the current condition of the user. Typical measurementsinclude temperature, galvanic skin response, ekg, heart rate, pulse,during operation. In one example, a user places themselves in a suitableposition required for the selected bio sensor and engages in theactivation of the switch, resulting in the creation of an energy field.

In still other examples, the field may be buffered through memory or apower pump to provide energy to active the biosensor unit, resulting inthe biometric unit creation of a data structure indicating the measuredhealth condition of the user. In some embodiments, a microcontroller orother circuit may be used to couple the output of the identificationdata structure to a transmission unit. In one example, a unit may beequipped with ROM storing a switch ID. The switch ID is preferablytransmitted by the transmission unit along with the user identificationdata.

As discussed in this disclosure, activation of a WCC device can be viamany ways. The WCC device can be powered, e.g., connected to power orvia a battery, or can itself harvest power from mechanical input. Insome embodiments, WCC devices may be associated with Dial Knobtransmission, Dial Knob with pushdown transmission, control pad withpush activation, control pad with chassis mounted activation, aKeyboard, a Slider control transmission (i.e. dimmer light switch), aDial Knob with pushdown transmission with rotating e-ink, a Dial Knobwith pushdown transmission with stationary center display e-ink, a UserThermometer Transmission, Environmental Condition Transmission,Projectile Activation, Use of RF energy harvesting in addition tomechanical or battery or wired electrical power, a Mesh network shoeintegration with watch, a Rotary encoder TX per click, an Ultrasonicbeacon, Stadium Food Ordering, Grocery Store & Retail, Near fieldintegration for contactless user identity, Near field integration forcontactless payment, Near field integration for contactless payment plusRFID to unlock paid items from doorway security, or combinations of twoor more thereof. In one embodiment, a WCC device can include a rotaryknob to select a type of information to display in relation to food ortypes of food to be purchased. For example, the display can provide:gluten y/n, diary y/n, nuts y/n, organic y/n, fat, vitamins, etc.

In some embodiments, spark-voltage generation mechanisms for gaslighters and the like utilize a cam mechanism operating in a series ofactions that a hammer strikes a piezoelectric element and generates ahigh-voltage pulse by releasing a compressed spring, in which the springis compressed and released by applying only one-way compression force. AWCC device can incorporate such a device, for supplying or amplifyingthe force impacted or transferred to a power pump, e.g., piezoelectricelement.

In one embodiment, a strong spring is compressed by finger pressure,while the hammer rests on a “shelf.” When an activator reaches a point,a hammer moves off the shelf and makes impact upon a crystal, at thesame time compressing the now broken spring. The hammer hits thecrystal, and the small spring returns the hammer to the “shelf”. Thecrystal, in this example is a piezoelectric element of a power pump. Inother embodiments, the piezoelectric material can be a ceramic.

The volume of the ceramic element and the amount of stress exerted onthe element are factors in converting mechanical input to electricalenergy. The stress on the element is the ratio of the applied force tothe surface area of the element. Consequently, when the composition ofthe ceramic, the volume of the ceramic element, and the applied forceare constant, the element that has the smallest surface area willgenerate the most electrical energy.

In one configuration, a squeeze-type piezoelectric fuel ignitors providea static mechanical energy input; very low frequency, relative to theresonance frequency of the ceramic, and generates the electrical energyfor ignition. In the impact ignition design a spring-loaded hammer thatdelivers a dynamic input to the ceramic element. The pressure wavegenerated when the hammer strikes the element once is in one embodiment,reflected multiple times in both the element and the hammer, in accordwith the elastic and acoustical properties of the ceramic and thehammer. Until the flashover at the spark gap, stress varies along theheight of the ceramic element, and exact values for voltage must becalculated by integration over the height of the element. Approximatevalues derived from the below equation are usually sufficient fordeveloping simple piezo ignition devices. Voltage=[g33×force(N)×thickness of ceramic (m)]; surface area of ceramic (m2).

In one embodiment, activation of a WCC device may include usermanipulation of the device whereby a mechanical force is asserted ontothe device, causing the device to power on for brief period of time. Theactivation can be direct or incidental, as described above. Furtherpower can be provided via a battery. In some embodiments, pre-activationsettings can be programmed. These settings can be associated withswitches or rotary knobs or any setting, condition, RFID or fieldestablished prior to activation. Furthermore, transmission bursts may beused. For example, a sequence of transmission data sent from the WCCdevice over a wireless network to an end node.

In one example, the coded communication can include an node ID of thereceiving device, state of pre-activation settings, encryption info etc.In some embodiments, active scanning is possible. For example, afteractivation of a WCC device a multitude of sensor data may be read intothe device. Sensor may be data sourced from one or more sensors. Forembodiments that include multiple sensors, the device can be configuredto read the sensor output in a time multiplexed manner, orsimultaneously or in any order.

In some embodiments, multiple sensors may be configured into a devicebut during operation only selected sensors may be scanned. Furthermore,the sequence of scan operations during an activation cycle may be linkedto the status of scan values read during the current or previous scansequence. Future scan sequences can be set according to the present orpast scan values. The order and selection of capturing sensor output,the selection of ones to power (if necessary) may be determineddynamically or in pre-configured order to ensure adequate tradeoffs aremade according to desired operation given limitations that may bepresent when operating under complete passive-mechanical mode.

In some embodiments, an active sensor is provided. Any sensor thatrequires a voltage to produce an output including fingerprint sensor,may be provided. In some embodiments, field resistance level may beadjusted or sensed for use in defining the state of operation of themodule or comprising data made part of the transmission burst. In someconfigurations, a passive-mechanical mode is defined or a multitude ofmodes. In one embodiment, a WCC device is configured with nosupplemental power that operates on energy harvested from theenvironment and/or through user manipulation to create a voltage burst.

In one embodiment, the power pump may be a hammer-based piezoelectricspark generator, a compression-based voltage generator, abending-motion-based voltage generator, a combination units bend andsnap, a dynamo rotational, or combinations of two or more thereof.

In still other embodiments, single rotary knob provide dynamo power plusacts as a state encoder to form part of the definition of thetransmission burst. In another example, a single rotary knob may havefingerprint or other sensor on topside is provided. In anotherembodiment, a single rotary knob may be pushbutton to triggertransmission burst after activation is provided. In another embodiment,a light or sound may provide an indication when device has suitablepower to perform operation is provided. In another embodiment, light orsound may provide an indication when device has suitable power toperform an operation selected by the state of the device. In anotherembodiment, light or sound may provide an indication when device hassuitable power to perform an operation selected by the state of thedevice and the current state of inputs.

As noted above, many types of mechanical activation forces may beprovided or received by the WCC device. Examples further include,without limitation, to push button, rotational, flick with finger, tapon table, press on object, press on compressible chasses, twist onhandle, close on hinge, or any other direct or incidental force input oractivation. In one example, tap-based (vs pushbutton) activationoriented devices will want to have the secondary sensor aligned suchthat when held in the activation pose the sensor is coupled to thesensed condition. For example the fingerprint sensor on a USB stick willbe positioned so when naturally held the thumbprint scanner reads theuser identify while the user taps the activation gesture.

In some configurations, energy harvesting by a power pump can havemultiple implementations, wherein some are optimized for powergeneration, some optimized for peak power, and others optimized to storethe most amount of power to a storage cell. Example technologies useablefor harvesting power and using such power is provided herein. It shouldbe understood that any one of these circuits, methods, and structuresmay be combined or assembled to define a WCC device.

Several of the inventive WCC configurations used herein utilize a powerpump activation where a mechanical force is applied to an element of thepower pump to generate power. It is desired that the power pump operateefficiently for each intended application, yet efficiency of the powerpump will

depend on the several factors, including the choice of material used forthe power pump element, the strength of the mechanical force and thecircuitry that harvests the power created in response to the mechanicalforce applied to the element. In addition, WCCs will be packaged in avariety of housings such as light switches, door hinges, door knobs,appliances, outlets, remote controls, panels, and each device willdeliver or embody, a resonant frequency, a limit on choice of materials,a target amount of power that can be harvested and will demand a simpleor transparent user interface necessary to satisfy the desiredfunctionality.

The constraints above must be balanced across a variety of applicationprofiles each having unique cost/benefit/durability metrics. Yet costtradeoffs alone will influence much of the design parameters, yieldingto material performance and manufacturing tolerances and quality etc.,but also impacting the power efficiency of the WCC.

WCC efficiency can be measured in terms of both the power utilization ofthe energy required for the intended function but also by the amount ofharvested energy produced by the power pump. Harvesting pump energy istherefore a key factor in determining overall WCC efficiency andusefulness. Therefore it is desirable to maximize the harvesting ofelectricity generated by the mechanical force on the element of thepower pump.

WCC structures, like a tuning fork, may have a fixed resonant frequency.If you strike a tuning fork to ring it, it will resonate and itsresonant frequency. To efficiently harvest the power from the tuningfork, bring another identical tuning fork near it and the energy istransferred, making the second tuning fork ring.

WCC power pump will ideally foster a frequency of the source vibrationthat is matched to the resonant frequency of the energy harvestingcircuit. It is possible to tune the resonant frequency of a WCC powerpump to the source vibration caused by the mechanical force, using aresonant tank circuit or using a tunable, reactive impedance at theoutput of the device.

However, manufacturing tolerances and design trade-offs will make itdifficult to match the WCC resonant frequency to the source vibrationfrequency, and the source vibration frequency may vary with time, orwith the state of an object coupled to produce inadvertent force on theWCC. For example, a certain door hinge WCC may have a first resonantfrequency when closed, and a second or variable resonant frequency whenopened to different operating angles. In any case, including for WCCsoffering substantially fixed resonant frequencies, it may be beneficialto implement a tunable reactive impedance method, such as a bias-fliptechnique, or further, a closed loop technique that may tune theresonant frequency of a tank circuit dynamically according to the outputthe changing profile of the power pump energy. This can be useful insituations where the resonant frequency of the WCC changes predictably.

In some embodiments of WCC devices, an inductor is added in parallel tothe resistive load of the WCC logic circuit in the power pump to cancelthe capacitive admittance of the circuit. In some embodiments of WCCdevices, the power pump is configured to normalize the output power itgenerates. In some embodiments of WCC devices, the power pump isconfigured to produce an output power profile that contains at least twoharmonic voltage peaks at frequencies lower and higher than the resonantfrequency operation of the WCC power pump. In some embodiments of WCCdevices, a profile of the load resistance used during an activationcycle is known to the WCC in advance of activation, and the energyharvesting circuit or power pump itself is configured dynamically overthe course of the activation cycle to ensure efficient use of powerduring the activation cycle. In some embodiments of WCC devices, aprofile of the load resistance is not known entirely in advance butknown load levels and durations are predetermined and correlate tofunctions that may be performed by the WCC.

In some embodiments of WCC devices, WCC operates in a closed loopcontrol back to the power pump. In some embodiments of WCC devices, WCCoperates in a closed loop with the power pump to tune the capacitiveadmittance to the current loads of the WCC function. In some embodimentsof WCC devices, WCC operates in a closed loop with the power pump totune the resonant frequency of a tank circuit coupled to the power pump.In some embodiments of WCC devices, WCC operates in a closed loop withthe power pump to change the value of inductance imposed in a circuitcoupled to the power pump.

FIG. 1A illustrates one example embodiment of a WCC device 100, inaccordance with one embodiment. In this example, the WCC device 100includes a power supply 104, a power storage 106, and logic/wirelessRx/Tx circuitry 140. As will be described below, the logic can bedefined by an integrated circuit, a microcontroller, andapplication-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), firmware, codedinstructions, or any other type of processing logic is capable ofperforming a predefined function. In some embodiments, the function isprogrammable, and changeable based on input settings by a user, oranother application, or a program. As illustrated, the power supply caninclude a power pump 102.

In one embodiment, power pump 102 is a piezoelectric device. Forexample, when a force or mechanical stress is applied to thepiezoelectric device, a voltage is produced. The voltage can then beharvested by communicating that voltage in the direction of the diode tothe power storage 106. The power storage 106 can include, for example, acapacitor. The capacitor can store the voltage in the form of charge isbuilt up in the capacitor. Depending on the amount of voltage generatedby the power pump 102, such as in response to a number of button pushesor force applications, charge is generated and the generated charge isharvested by saving it to the power storage 106. In one embodiment, whenthe power storage 106 has received a sufficient amount or a thresholdamount of power in the capacitor or capacitors or array of capacitors,the logic 140 can process a predefined function and the wirelesstransceiver 140 can transmit data to a desire end node.

As noted above, an end node can be any processing entity, such as acomputer, a router, a server, a cloud processing system, andintermediate repeating node, or any other processing entity that canreceive data and process data. The end node, in one embodiment, may beconnected to a network, and the network can receive data from the WCCdevice 100, which is then routed to the end node. As discussed in thisdisclosure, power harvesting using a piezoelectric device enablesoperation of the WCC device 100 without battery power or withoutconnection to a wired power source.

For instance, once a sufficient amount of power has been harvested andstored in the power storage 106, the logic can detect that the power hasbeen stored and reached a threshold amount. Such detection of sufficientpower may be self-evident upon the logic having suitable power toactivate a function. This detection that powers available can in oneembodiment trigger the wireless logic to transmit data to an end node.In alternate embodiments, the power supply can be a battery, which omitsthe need to have a power pump 102.

FIG. 1B illustrates an example of a WCC device, which includes a fullwave rectifier. The full wave rectifier is part of the power supply 104.The full wave rectifier, in one embodiment, is capable of improving theharvesting of power generated by the power pump 102. For instance, thefull wave rectifier can assist in achieving more harvesting of thegenerated power by the power company to and thus more efficient and morerapid charging of the capacitor of the power storage 106. As mentionedabove, the WCC device 100 can be triggered using any number of forms.The button illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 1B are simply examples of thesupply of force to the power pump 102.

Specifically, the force can be applied to the power pump 102 by directapplication of mechanical forces. The mechanical forces can beintentionally applied and directly applied by a user, such as bypressing a button, sliding a button, tapping a button, toggling aswitch, pressing a service, and any other forms of force applicationdescribed throughout this application, and other equivalent forms thatare within the scope of those skilled in the art.

As further noted above, the application of the mechanical forces can beindirect. For instance, if the WCC device 100 receives a forceindirectly because an object is moved, it was not the intention of auser to supply forced to the WCC device 100. Nevertheless, the WCCdevice 100 will receive the force (e.g. mechanical force), and thatforce is transmitted to power pump 102.

FIG. 2 illustrates another example implementation of a WCC device 100.In this example, the power supply 104 includes a power pump 102. Forceinput 126 can be provided to the power pump. The force input 126 can bedefined by one or more presses or mechanical forces applied thereto. Inthis example, X number of presses can be associated with program one(P1), X presses+1 can be associated with program two (P2), X presses+2can be associated with program three (PS3).

In one embodiment, the integrated circuit (IC) 114 can be programmedwith any number of settings. The settings can be predefined bymanufacturer, or can be programmed by a user to suit their specificneeds. In this example, three programs are set by the integrated circuit114, such as P1, P2, and P3. Each of the programs can be associated witha specific light indicator, which can identify setting 1, setting 2, andsetting 3. In other embodiments, a WCC device 100 can have more settingsor less settings. This example simply shows that the WCC device 100 canhave some sort of indicators, such as LEDs, or even a display toindicate what programming is available or what programming has been set.

In this illustration, a programming device 130 can be used to makeprogram settings 132. The programming device can be any number ofcomputing devices, which may be connected to the WCC device 100 via awired connection. In another embodiment, the programming device 130 canbe communicating with the WCC via a wireless connection. In one example,the programming device 130 can be a user's computer, a user'ssmartphone, a user smart watch, a user's Internet terminal, acustom-designed program device, or any number of interfacing logicdevices that are capable of communicating program settings 132,including another WCC device. In one embodiment, the integrated circuit114 can save the program settings 132 to a memory 112.

Memory 112 can be communicating with the integrated circuit 114 as wellas to the power storage 106. A display device 110 can also optionally beprovided. As noted above, low power displays can be used, such the powerstorage 106 can provide power to display 110. In one embodiment, the WCCdevice 100, once programs, can operate to generate coded data that iscommunicated to a network 120. In other embodiments, the network 120 cancommunicate information back to the WCC device 100. Memory 112 may bevolatile or non-volatile including flash based memory capable of storingpersistent data.

In some embodiments, the WCC device 100 can be preprogrammed with theprogram settings 132 to communicate to a specific an node. The WCCdevice 100 will utilize a wireless chip 116 to enable the communication,which is a wireless communication to the network 120. In one embodiment,the wireless communication by the wireless chip 116 can be directly toanother device. For instance, the WCC device 100 can communicate withanother WCC device 100, a local node, a router, a local computer, orother device without a network. In other embodiments, the communicationcan be to a mesh network. The mesh network can include repeater notesthat enable transmission of coded data output by the WCC device 100 tothe desired end node.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example of program settings 132. These programsettings are simply to illustrate that any type of settings can be made.As such, one of skill in the art will understand that the programsettings are purely customizable by the user depending on theimplementation and needs. In some embodiments, the WCC device 100 can bepreprogrammed with a predefined function. These predefined functions canbe programmed by a manufacturer before the WCC devices 100 aredistributed or sold.

However, if the WCC device 100 is programmable, different settings canbe made to the WCC device 100. The settings provided in the program caninclude defining different types of functions to be performed by the WCCdevice 100. In other embodiments, the settings can provide a singlefunction to be performed by the WCC device 100. FIG. 2 illustrates thatthe WCC device 100 can perform five different functions, which areassociated with five different settings (settings 1-5). As shown, oneexample of a setting can be to send a message.

The message can be preprogrammed to include different types of messages.In this example, the message of setting 1 can be to send a request forhelp. In another embodiment, it could be to send an email or text to aspecific end node or recipient. In another embodiment it can alsoprovide a location of the WCC device 100, such as when the message wassent. In one embodiment, geo-location data can be captured by the WCCdevice 100.

The geo-location data can also be sent along with the messagescommunicated by the WCC device 100. Setting 2 illustrates a message thatcan communicate to a desired end node that the user is okay, or you cansend an email, or text with preconfigured data or messages. Setting 3can include a request, such as a request of batch messages from amessaging service. For instance, the user may have a preprogrammedaccount from which the user can pull message data from. For instance,the user can make a payment to an email account, a text message account,or other service.

Data can then be received by the WCC device 100. In one configuration,data is received by the WCC device 100 when sufficient power has beenstored in the power storage 106. As such, a WCC device 100 can performboth transmission and receiving of data during a single charge. In otherembodiments, multiple charge operations can be performed, such as bymore power harvesting by the power supply 104 having a power pump 102.

FIG. 4A illustrates another embodiment of a WCC device 100. In thisexample, force input 126 can be provided to the power supply 104,suggest activate the power pump 102. Power storage will occur when thepower pump 102 produces voltage that is optimized for power storage. Thelogic in wireless circuitry 140 includes the integrated circuit 114, thewireless chip 116, and memory 112.

The wireless chip 116, in one embodiment, is a Wi-Fi chip. In anotherembodiment, the wireless chip 116 is a Bluetooth chip. In anotherembodiment, the wireless chip 116 is a radiofrequency communicationchip. In another embodiment, the wireless chip, memory andmicrocontroller are all formed on single chip or module. In anotherembodiment a hybrid chip module containing the wireless functionality,memory and micro controller or logic chip is an ESP8266. In otherembodiments, the wireless chip 116 can be defined by other communicationprotocols, modes, and network transmissions. In some embodiments, theintegrated circuit 114 and the wireless chip 116 can be integrated intoa single chip. In some embodiments, 114 and the wireless chip 116. TheWCC 100 can communicate with a network 120. In one embodiment, data canbe sent by the WCC 100, based on its programming which can be stored inmemory 112.

The data can be preconfigured to be sent to a specific end node vianetwork 120. In this example, network 120 can communicate with an endnode 160. The end node 160 can communicate with a process that isconfigured to receive the output signal 162. The output signal 162 maybe or include a payload. A cloud system 150, which can include aplurality of servers and storage, can be configured to receive thepayload data processed and sent by a WCC 100. The end node 160 cantherefore communicate with the process 162, which can communicate withlogic that understands programming 164.

The programming 164 can be configured to perform specific actions,process specific routines, execute specific codes, send specificmessages, respond to specific codes, and/or process specific customroutines. The cloud system 150 can therefore include the end node 160.In other embodiments, the end node may communicate with the club system150. In various embodiments, the network 120 can communicate withmultiple end nodes 160. Any WCC or end node may also communicatedirectly with servers or peers outside a local area network using NATtraversal techniques. A WCC or end node may also be part, participatein, or be coupled to a chord overlay network.

FIG. 4B illustrates another example of a WCC 100, which receives forceinput 126. A power source 104 is shown in communication with a wirelesstransceiver 166. Additionally, an RF antenna 168 can also be provided aspart of the WCC 100, in one embodiment. In this configuration the powersource 104 can be a battery or can include a power pump. The RF antenna168 can be used to receive RF signals directly from another device, suchas user device 200. In other embodiments, the user device 200 cancommunicate with a network 120, and the network 120 can communicate withthe WCC 100.

In some embodiments, device 200 can be used to program aspects of theWCC 100. For example, a cloud system 150 can be used to enterprogramming settings, such as settings for device A 169. In thisexample, the WCC 100 is device A. The cloud system 150 can allow anynumber of users to access a programming functionality, and identify thespecific WCC devices that are associated with their user account. Inthis example, the user is able to access his device via the cloud system150, or directly via a local signal communicated to the RF antenna 168.As illustrated, the device 200 can be provided with a user interfacethat includes a number of settings.

The settings can be used to communicate with the WCC device 100. In oneexample, the user can communicate with the device in response to aconnection request. In another embodiment, the user can select theprogram device A. in another embodiment, the user can select to access ahistory of activity from the WCC device 100. In other embodiments, theuser can decide to modify a program that is previously stored in the WCCdevice 100. Various other settings can be used to interface with the WCCdevice 100, either locally or via a network 120.

FIG. 4C illustrates an example of a WCC device that includes a powersource and a wireless transceiver, and an input for receiving forceinput 126. The WCC device 100 can be located at a specific devicelocation. The device location can have access to a network 120. Atanother location, such as a remote location, the user can access the WCCdevice 100 (device a) using an application 202.

From the remote location, the user can utilize device 200 to access thenetwork 120. In one embodiment, a local device 206 can also communicatewith the WCC device 100. In another embodiment, local device 206 isanother WCC device. The local device can be another computer, or devicethat receives information from WCC device 100. Report actions 208 can bereceived from the WCC device or other WCC devices via network 120. Inother embodiments, a local device can include instructions, data inresponse to an inquiry or command made by WCC, payload data or code thatare sent to a WCC device 100, such as to instruct the WCC device to takean action. The action can include, for example, sending a message,turning on a signal, vibrating the WCC device, outputting a sound forthe WCC device, outputting a display message, transmitting displayinformation, calling a function, passing arguments to a function, orcommunicating a new program or data.

The cloud system 150 can also receive data from the WCC device 100. Thedata can be stored, and associated with a reported actions database. Inother embodiments, actions taken by the WCC device 100 or actionsinstructed to the WCC device 100 can be stored in the log, or access bya remote user via their device 200. In one embodiment, the cloud system150 can also store of history of actions taken by WCC devices, statechanges, information sent, user identification, sensor values, networkquality of service levels, authentication events, transaction events,payloads, selected controls, data received, timestamps, and othermetadata.

FIG. 5A illustrates an example of different types of power sources 104,which are nonexclusive of other types that are possible. In oneembodiment, the power source 104 can be a battery 104 a, a piezoelectricdevice 104 b, a photovoltaic cell 104 c, a magnetic power generator 104d, a capacitive storage 104 e, electrochemical cells 104 f, a radiofrequency (RF) harvesting system 104 g, a heat sensor power harvestingsystem (e.g., thermal electric generator (TEG)) 104 h, alternatingcurrent (AC) power, and others. Combinations of the above power sourcesare possible. And a WCC device 100 that operates with an energyharvesting device based on mechanical force can be used along with aprimary power source to supply a secondary power source that is eitherisolated from the primary power source or merged with the primary powersource to provide a power capacity necessary to perform any action.

Increasing the power capacity or mAH in this manner may providenecessary supplement to enable any device chip or functionality, whetherit is part of WCC device 100 or the device operating in connection withthe WCC device 100. In other words, the voltage boost is not intended tobe limited exclusively to using the voltage boost for WCC device 100activity.

As noted, the WCC device 100 may be configured with an RF harvestingsystem 104 g. In one embodiment, the WCC device 100 will have an antennathat is configured to capture RF power that may be in the vicinity ofthe WCC device 100. An RF harvesting is a process whereby Radiofrequency energy emitted by sources that generate high electromagneticfields such as TV signals, wireless radio networks and cell phonetowers, but through power generating circuit linked to a receivingantenna, captured and converted into usable DC voltage.

The ambient energy, generally, may come from stray electric or magneticfields or radio waves from nearby electrical equipment, light, thermalenergy (heat), or kinetic energy such as vibration or motion of thedevice. The DC voltage that is generated may then be used to charge orstore power to a power source 104. In some embodiments, the RFharvesting system 104 g can include an impedance matching circuit thatis tuned to capture certain frequencies of RF power. A rectifier circuitmay then receive and rectify the RF power wave forms, which are storedin the power source 104. In some embodiments, a booster circuit may togenerate amplify power used by the WCC device 100.

As mentioned above, RF harvesting 104 g may also be used as a powersource, e.g., for an IOT, a WCC device, or the like. In oneconfiguration, a method is defined for harvesting energy from ambientradio frequency transmissions present in the airwaves. First, a WCCdevice can be equipped with a power source circuit receiver thatharvests the ambient RF energy in proximity to the WCC. Such RF-basedenergy harvesting power source could be tuned to a specific frequencywhere known radio waves are abundant, such as a frequency tied to, forexample, one of the Wi-Fi bands, FM or AM broadcast bands or a cellularband such as GMS, 3G or 4G LTE, HTMS, or other.

Second, the power source circuit could be tunable across a range offrequencies, and whereby the circuit itself detects the best frequencyto select for harvesting RF in order to harvest the most power. This maybe accomplished in a closed loop where output power is monitored andfrequencies are scanned (i.e. round robin or otherwise) until one cycleof testing each frequency band associated with known RF energy sourcesin the tunable range was tested, upon which the tuner is selected tochange to the band generating the maximum power.

Third, an RF-based energy harvesting power source may be equipped withmultiple tuners and harvest RF from multiple frequency bands. Tuners canbe configured as fixed frequency, variable frequency, or include bothfixed and variable. When using multiple tuners, the circuit may beconfigured to scan the available frequencies and select one or morefrequencies to achieve maximum harvested power.

Fourth, the RF-based energy harvesting source may learn the environmentand be able to profile the timing of frequencies and self-adapt a tuningchange schedule suited for harvesting energy from a particular location.The RF-energy harvesting power source, when learning a time schedule forswitching tuning frequency or for waking up to harvest, scans poweracross the frequency band and detects and logs peek activity by time andfrequency.

In one example and without limitation to other methods, to reinforcewhat we shall call “location adaptive dynamic RF-harvesting powersource”, consider a factory that operates a faulty motor consistently at1 pm for one hour and during that time, the motor is inadvertentlytransmitting high RF energy at a specific frequency. Over time, theRF-power harvesting supply, using time-stamping and history of poweroutput and frequency, using known statistics, detect the daily event at1 pm and the RF-power harvesting circuit can adapt its tuning pattern tolock into the motor output RF-frequency from 1 pm to 2 pm, to capturethe RF burst that occupies the airwaves in proximity to the RF-powerharvester. While this example illustrates the dynamic ability of theRF-power harvester, it also illustrates how a WCC or any device coupledto the RF-power harvester can be used to raise a flag to new andpossibly unknown RF activity.

For example, if the RF-power harvester was equipped with a baselineprofile of known RF energy spectrum for an area, and FCC or otherregulatory guidelines on use of spectrum in proximity to the device,then any activity outside of the baseline may signal an electrical ormechanical failure or suspicious interference, leading to find andcorrect the faulty motor before catastrophic failure. In summary, alocation adaptive dynamic RF-harvesting power source may scan and changefrequency to maximize power output, may engage in switching decisionsbased on closed loop monitoring or historical or predictive RF patternsin the air, and may report frequencies that can signal a mechanicalfailure or suspicious RF. WCC may be coupled to one or more antennas toincrease the capture of RF for energy harvesting. A traditional antennamay be used. One or more traditional antennas may be used. Alternateantennas may be used, including but not limited to, a pipe, cord, vent,steel stud, gutter, machine, flat, coil, frame, shelf, floor, wall,ceiling, shingle or any building or other material constructed orpositioned in a manner and able to receive RF energy.

In still another embodiment, methods may be used to detect a state ofthe current or another device based on AC Ripple. For example, a use ofa WCC device may include the ability to monitor the consumption oroutput of another device and deduce, report or act on the change instatus of the decoupled device. In one embodiment, an WCC AC poweroutlet may be capable of keeping track of devices that are plugged intoit. Such may include the ability to determine which device is pluggedinto the outlet at any time. However, such may also mean determining acondition or change in condition of the device plugged into the outlet.

Typical consumer electronic devices that draw alternating current (AC)power leave a fingerprint of AC ripple modulated on top of the 60 hertzAC signal. The ripple pattern changes with changes in the AC powerprofile of the underlying device. For example, it is possible to detectwhen a compressor for a refrigerator turns on or off. It is possible todetect when a cell phone charger changes from primary charge mode tomaintenance trickle mode. It is possible to detect when a coffee makeris actively heating water vs. when sustaining a heat base to keep coffeewarm vs when it is not making coffee but keeping time.

Devices plugged into an AC socket may be registered with the AC socket,causing the download of a device profile that may contain known safetytolerances for the device as well as a state table and notificationtable that defines conditions upon which the WCC outlet may triggernotification. Notification may be safety related or related to acondition of the device which needs attention. For example, a user mayregister the model number of their refrigerator to the WCC AC outlet,causing the WCC AC outlet or system monitoring the WCC AC outlet toreceive the device profile upon which the WCC AC outlet may monitor theAC ripple fingerprint of the refrigerator (or any appliance or devicethat can consume or use AC power) to determine, for example, if thecompressor is being run beyond the threshold for the device profile,which may indicate a door left open or failure of the compressor. Anappropriate notification may be sent to a user to remedy the situation.The notification can be by email, by text, by phone call, by message, ordata posted to a website or database for access by an application (e.g.,via a user account).

The device profile may be generic but local offsets may be applied toaccommodate for both time of year and geographical differences as wellas operating conditions within the geographic area of use, includinghigh altitude areas (i.e., for boilers), hot vs cold weather areas, etc.

Still further, the WCC AC outlet may send data itself over the AC lineto a receiving device, using internet of power line technology. In whichcase, the modulation of data packets over AC line may need to befiltered from the AC line to eliminate the interference from the datatransmission. Or, the data transmissions can be burst and sequenced at aspecific duty cycle to allow for interleaving of quiet times wheredevices can be monitored without the possibility of interference from IPpackets or data over the AC line.

The use of an WCC AC outlet can provide monitoring of both nextgeneration “smart” appliances but also “dumb” legacy appliances thatotherwise have IOT reporting capabilities. However, the techniquesdescribed in connection with monitoring AC outlet for AC ripple profileof devices coupled to the outlet can be built into next generation“smart’ IOT or WCC appliances that are particularly configured to beplugged into traditional legacy power outlets.

In one such embodiment, an IOT appliance itself monitors the powerconsumption and/or AC ripple passing through its power cord, and itconfirms that the profile of the ripple conforms to the expected patternof ripple given the current and/or usage history of the device. If thepattern does not match the expected pattern, or the pattern matches aknown consumption or fingerprint pattern of a known fault, a payload maybe transmitted to a desired end node. The payload may be transmittedover AC power line or wirelessly.

In one embodiment, if the consumption pattern does not match theexpected pattern, or the pattern matches a known consumption orfingerprint pattern of a known fault, a bridge circuit may cut off ACsupply from the device and switch to an alternative power source. Insuch circumstance, the WCC or IOT device may engage in a payload may betransmitted to a desired end node to indicate change in power status.

In some embodiments, dynamic local cloud (DLC) maybe formed from atleast two WCC devices. DLC's are described in greater detail in priorityapplication US. Provisional 62/387,403, filed on Dec. 24, 2015, which isherein incorporated by reference. Broadly speaking, DLC clusters mayshare compute, storage and I/O services and coordinate the running ofapplications or services. In one embodiment, the DLC service may act toregister and pair new WCC and IOT devices to grow the DLC service base.In some implementations, the DLC operates, forms or exchanges data to asever-less, event driven, infrastructure while in other implementations,the DLC operates, forms or exchanges data with a server-basedinfrastructure, and then there are embodiments involving hybridinfrastructures involving both forms of network topology.

Some embodiments, without limitation, relate to internet of things (JOT)devices, sensors and devices, and communication logic for interfacingIOTs, receiving data from IOTs, assembling data received from IOTs,sharing resources of IOTs, sending state data to IOTs, requesting datafrom select IOTs, data mining “big data” received from many IOTs,interfacing IOTs with larger systems, setting security levels forcommunicating with select or groups of IOTs. Also disclosed herein aresystems, methods and circuitry for assembly of virtual computers usingresources assembled from IOTs, cloud communication with IOTs, assemblyof logic to interface with cloud resources, automated communicationbetween IOT nodes, and integration of communication logic into IOTs.Further disclosed are systems, methods and circuitry for integration ofcommunication logic in to standard computing devices, use of smartdevice, smart phones, computers, tablets, home appliances, businessappliances, commercial appliances, network devices, and otherelectronics.

The devices described herein may be WCC devices, IOTs, hybrid devices,standard computing devices. These devices, in one embodiment, producedata from integrated sensors, and/or receive and process data requestedfrom a requested node/computer. The data may be collected over time indatabases local to computing resources, databases connected to cloudinfrastructure, e.g., datacenters, or distributed in memory ofindividual devices. Data collected may grow over time, to form “bigdata,” which can be data mined to identify new information, generaterules for analysis, form predictions and assist in machine learning ofevents, actions, functions, data sensed, and/or model data for moreefficient operation of individual devices, groups of devices, or improveinter-node communication. Therefore, the embodiments described hereinshould be viewed broadly and not restrictive to any one specificexample.

In some implementations, functions may be selected and triggeredaccording to results of processing of the payload before, during orafter transmission of the payload. In certain embodiments, the WCCdevice includes the capability to detect or image the identity orattribute of a user, a sound, a scene, object position, QR code, RFIDcode, barcode, status, temperature, pressure, absence or presence ofconditions, environmental condition, vibration, and any signal or sourcecoupled to, near or within sensing range of one or more sensors coupledto, or integrated with, a WCC device.

Returning to FIG. 5A, in some applications, the indication that a powerchange has occurred in one node may result in a playbook of functionsthat may include, but not necessarily include, transferring storage fromthe WCC or IOT device that is experiencing the change in power status,changing or transferring DLC functionality or responsibility in thecluster, modifying resource tables, logging the event in persistentremote cloud, making configuration changes to application software orfirmware or DLC code run on the appliance IOT or WCC device subject tothe power change, switching back to AC power, engaging in additionaltesting of AC fingerprint and/or consumption patterns, collectingadditional diagnostics, creating an event, and/or logging activity.

Multiple IOT devices may engage in coordinated maintenance anddiagnostic routes with one another to maintain or adjust service levelsfor a DLC cluster. In one embodiment, if a first IOT device experiencesa suspected fault. The suspected fault may be identified in various wayseither through the device itself or through other devices. In oneembodiment a first device senses a potential fault of a second deviceover the wire.

In other embodiments another device senses a potential fault wirelessly,or through some other field, radiation or signal that is detected eitherwith or without the active polling of the sensed condition by the otherdevice. In one configuration, the indication of a fault has occurred inone node will result in a playbook of functions in one or more IOTs thatmay include, but not necessarily include, transferring storage from theWCC or IOT device that is experiencing the potential fault, change inpower status, changing or transferring DLC functionality orresponsibility in the cluster, modifying resource tables, logging theevent in persistent remote cloud, making configuration changes toapplication software or firmware or DLC code run on the appliance IOT orWCC device subject to the potential fault, engaging in additionaltesting and collecting additional diagnostics, creating an event, and orlogging activity.

In one embodiment, upon suspecting a fault IOT will perform a comparisonbetween its actual vs its expected AC ripple fingerprint. Knownfingerprint patterns are associated with known states of the device, anda fingerprint that does not match the state of the device will cause asuspected fault upon which an event is generated and action taken toeither further investigate or dynamically address and adjust the clusteror device to sustain suitable operation for the desired application orservice. In one embodiment, another IOT device is prompted to engage inactivity to observe its own AC ripple fingerprint and report the status.The payload reported by either device may include status or an image ofthe fingerprint. In one embodiment, the fingerprints are compared todetermine if local power interference or global noise is causing themismatch. In another embodiment, more IOT devices are included in theanalysis to determine or rule out a cause or fault.

If the consumption or AC fingerprint pattern matches the expectedpattern, the device may report no fault in connection with this specificclass of monitoring. In one embodiment, an image of the AC ripplefingerprints are periodically or when prompted, shared with an end nodewhich may use the data for understanding, filtering cross-talk andidentifying a particular device failure or detecting the state ofanother device or network event.

Similar to the method of above for monitoring AC ripple patterns forfaults, and capturing images of AC ripple from various IOT devices, insome embodiments, RF patterns and communication data at two or moredevices are analyzed for quality of service, intrusion detection,malware, signal augmentation, interference or the like. Upon detectionof a condition of anomaly at least one IOT device

In still another embodiment, a supercapacitor may be used by WCC devicesor end nodes. By way of example, a WCC storage capacitor may be of asupercapacitor type. Supercapacitors act like a traditional capacitor,only they can store tremendous amounts of energy. The supercapacitor'shigh energy storage and high power delivery make it an excellent choiceto buffer energy loads, including those involving a high-power load froma low-power, energy-harvesting source. A supercapacitor can be chargedvery quickly due to their low internal resistance and they can bequickly discharged, too. Supercapacitors offer an important benefit forenergy-harvesting applications. In one embodiment, a WCC device uses anenergy-harvesting circuit to interface an energy-harvesting source to asupercapacitor. In another embodiment, a WCC device maintains the outputvoltage or current of the energy-harvesting source so it delivers themaximum possible power.

In another embodiment, over-voltage protection is used to ensure thesupercapacitor-rated voltage is not exceeded. In another embodiment,active balancing is used to maintain the supercapacitor cells at thesame voltage with a low-current circuit. In another embodiment, a WCCpower source is a quasi-crystal nano-diode battery. In anotherembodiment, a WCC is coupled to a graphene supercapacitor. In anotherembodiment, the WCC is coupled to one or more supercapacitor that is ofa stacked, 3-D type. In another embodiment a WCC device is coupled tographene-based micro-supercapacitors that are produced on both sides ofa polymer sheet with sections stacked, separated by solid electrolytes,where the stacked configuration substantially provides increased energydensity.

In another embodiment, a WCC is coupled to a mechanically flexiblesupercapacitor. In another embodiment, a WCC is coupled to amicro-supercapacitor that is small enough to fit in wearable orimplantable device. In another embodiment a WCC is coupled to asupercapacitor that is thinner than a piece of paper yet capable ofholding more than twice as much charge as a comparable thin-film lithiumbattery. In another embodiment, a WCC is coupled to a supercapacitorhaving a design employed laser-scribed graphene, or LSG with manganesedioxide. In another embodiment a WCC is coupled to a boric acid infusedlaser-induced graphene supercapacitor.

FIG. 5B illustrates an example of a bridge circuit 105, which may beutilized in some devices to provide one or more of enhanced powermanagement, dynamically or static utilization of more than one type ofpower, provide power switching, provide controlled gating of outputpower, and provide power monitoring feedback.

In one embodiment, the IOT or WCC device is connected to a bridgecircuit that provides AC to DC conversion. Upon loss of AC power, thebridge circuit optionally notifies the IOT or WCC of the change in powercondition. For a period of time after the AC power is cut, the bridgecircuit provides the buffered DC output through a capacitor 104 i.

In some applications, the bridge circuit utilizes a power buffer such asa capacitor to provide power for it to operate. This enables the circuitto engage in switching, monitoring, signaling or any of its function,when changing power sources due to a currently used power source beingdrained, switched, or cut-off.

When changing power sources, the bridge circuit may switch to anotherpower source. In one embodiment, the bridge circuit gives priority toavailable power sources and changes the priority table when active poweris available. In one embodiment, the priority is changed in response tothe state of the power sources.

In one embodiment, the IOT or WCC device is connected to a bridgecircuit that provides AC to DC conversion. The DC output is used tosustain charge of a battery power source 104 a. Upon loss of AC power,the bridge circuit optionally notifies the IOT or WCC of the change inpower condition, to signal that power is now operating from battery. Inone embodiment, the bridge circuit also provide the WCC or IOT with anindication of the power level of the battery. In one embodiment, the DCLcluster of nodes reorganize functionality across the cluster of devicesdue to the status change from operating from a consistent power to atemporary power source.

In some applications, for a period of time after the AC power is cut,the bridge circuit provides the buffered DC output through a capacitor104 i until the capacitor is discharged and depleted by the WCC.

An IOT device that is about to lose power or if one loses a primarypower supply, the bridge circuit 105 can dynamically switch to anotherform of power to maintain the device processing at least sufficientlylong to power-down or switch to performing another operation or completethe processing of a specific currently operating function. In oneembodiment, the device can have a bridge circuit that communicatesbetween AC power and capacitive storage power. If the device loses ACpower, the device can immediately transition to capacitive storage powerto avoid loss of data, loss of processing function, interruption inprocessing, interruption in wireless communication, or interruption insharing of resources between devices in a DLC group.

In one embodiment, the power sources of FIG. 2 may optionallyindividually and exclusively, or alternatively, together or in one ormore clusters, can coupled to an interface circuit that adapts inparticular scheme according to a design. The scheme can includeutilizing portions of the power sources and dynamically switchingbetween power sources or grouping power sources for specific functions.The grouping, selection, or switching between power sources can beconfigured by a user, or can be configured by the DLC group, anauthority, or depending on the specific operation being processed. Insome embodiments, the specific devices can identify when they can beclustered or be associated with more than one power source. In someembodiments, the bridge circuit 105 allows for dynamic switching betweendifferent types of power sources depending on the power requirements,the availability of power in any one power course, failures in power, orbased on predefined configuration profiles.

In one embodiment, the bridge circuit 105 taps and couples the AC power104 i into a capacitor 104 e to provide a desired output DC voltage to aWCC device. The bridge circuit may replenish a storage capacitor 104 eto recharge the capacitor at a regular interval or upon detecting theloss of voltage in the capacitor due to leakage over time. A bridgecircuit may also include an activation trigger for prompting initiationof an AC tap source for charging a supercapacitor for DC use. In oneembodiment the trigger is tied to short throw relay which engages in aninstant temporary coupling of the AC power through the bridge circuitinto a storage capacitor 104 e. In one embodiment, the trigger is tiedto the output of the capacitor and upon reaching a threshold voltagelevel engages in the AC coupling to recharge the capacitor, keeping thecapacitor charged. In some cases, a trigger is received from a local WCCor from a remote source and depending on the application, it may betriggered through mechanical contact.

In one embodiment, the bridge circuit is triggered upon mechanicalengagement and manipulation of switch, such as a light switch or switchcoupled to an AC device, or a relay. In one embodiment, the bridgecircuit is triggered upon transitioning a switch from OFF to ON or ON toOFF and whereby the bridge detects the state transition, causing aone-shot tap of AC to charge the capacitor 104 e for loading anengagement cycle for reporting the switch state change to a desired endnode.

In another embodiment, the above configuration is enhanced through astate signal that may be read by the WCC or IOT to indicate that stablepower is available while the switch is sustained in the current state.The bridge circuit engages in the maintenance of a DC power source bycoupling the AC power source into a DC source and the DC power sourcesis maintained by the bridge circuit using any known means in the art.When the switch coupled to the AC power source is turned OFF, the bridgecircuit changes its state signal to notify the WCC that power loss fromthe current source is imminent, enabling the WCC or IOT to engage in anyspecial functions to report this to a desired end node. In oneembodiment, one or more or all DLC nodes take action to transferpayload. In one embodiment, one or more or all DLC nodes take action totransfer functions carried out by the soon-to-be dormant device toanother device.

A bridge circuit may be configured to both convert AC to DC in devicesthat have access to DC, but may also pull power from multiple powersources 104. In one embodiment, a bridge circuit is configured to wakeup when activated using a piezoelectric power pump source and when poweris provided to provide wake up signal to the bridge circuit

In addition to bridging one or more power sources 104 into a WCC or IOTdevice, a bridge circuit may also be equipped with a gate forcontrolling the voltage provided to activate a WCC or IOT. The gate, canshunt stored power from any power source 104 into the WCC or IOT suchthat the power is provided at a specific instance.

The bridge circuit may also have a control signal capability to providea WCC or IOT with information characterizing available power. This maybe useful to notify a powered WCC that power sources is reaching athreshold power level and soon power will be lost. In one embodiment, aWCC or IOT may engage in routines in a special playbook that aretailored for use when short burst power loss is imminent, so other nodescan be made aware of the status and take any necessary action, if any,to ensure functionality of the DLC application or services beingprovided by a cluster of DLC members.

In one embodiment, the bridge circuit may include a low loss, efficient,rectifier and one or more buck converters to provide efficient energyextraction from sources with high open circuit voltages. In oneembodiment a Linear Technology LM3588 may be configured to provideenergy harvesting. In one embodiment the bridge circuit is coupledbetween an AC power source and a supercapacitor for enabling a shortburst of AC into DC to satisfy a DC operation of a device for a periodof time. In some embodiments, the RF harvesting of 104 g may be enabledusing passive RF harvesting. As described below, example RF harvestinglogic and circuitry may be similar to that described in a paper entitledWi-Fi RF Energy Harvesting for Battery-Free Wearable Radio Platforms, byVamsi Talla et al., 2015, and a paper entitled Powering the Next BillionDevices with Wi-Fi, by Vamsi Tella, et al., 2015, which are hereinincorporated by reference. Other implementations of the communicationscircuit 3708 is to implement Wi-Fi Backscatter, which uses RF signals aspower sources and reuses existing Wi-Fi infrastructure to provideinternet connectivity to battery-less devices. An example of Wi-Fibackscatter is described in a paper entitled Ambient Backscatter:Wireless Communication Out of Thin Air, by Vincent Liu, et al., 2013,which is herein incorporated by reference.

In still other embodiments, the power source may utilize capacitivecoupling and/or inductive coupling. By way of example, a WCC/IOT devicemay have a capacitor that enables capture electrical current from aproximate device, and the capacitor may be charged to enablefunctionality of one or more features of the WCC device or IOT device.In another embodiment, the WCC/IOT device may use inductive coupling tocapture energy from another device. For example, if another device witha transmission coil is placed proximate to the WCC/IOT device that hasor is associated with another transmission coil, it is possible forpower to be wirelessly transferred to the WCC/IOT device. In oneexample, without limitation, a phone that is enabled for wirelesscharging may have functionality for adjusting the direction of powertransfer. That is, instead of the power transfer originating from acharging surface an captured by the phone, the phone can reverse thetransmission direction, and use power from the phone to communicatepower indicatively to an IOT/WCC device.

FIG. 6 illustrates another example of a WCC device 100, which can beprovided with multiple button presses or different numbers of physicalinputs to provide input or charge a power storage device of the WCC 100,or both. A power pump 102 may be included as part of the power source.An integrated circuit can including memory 112 a that is integratedtherewith, or can be interfaced separately. A display device 103 can becoupled to the memory, such as to produce data that can be rendered onthe display.

A wireless chip 116 is in communication with the integrated circuit, andprogramming stored in the memory can be used to trigger sending oroperating the wireless chip 116 when sufficient powers present in theWCC 100. The data communicated or data output by the WCC 100 can be sentto a network 120, and addressed to a specific recipient 220 end node.The end node can be addressed to a specific device, a mailbox, a phonenumber, a storage device, a terminal, or any other computing device. Insome embodiments the end node may be part of a node in a chord overlaynetwork or may make a request for information from a chord overlaynetwork. In another embodiment, the data can be sent to a data store222.

FIG. 7 illustrates another embodiment of a WCC 100 integrated into adevice, such as a key fob. In this example, the power source 104 may becoupled to a button or irrepressible input. When the button is pressed,the power source will harvest energy that is used to power theintegrated circuit 114 and the wireless chip 116. In memory devicestored in the key fob or integrated with the IC 114 or wireless chip116, can be programmed to send specific data wirelessly to specificdevices 240, such as a specific, or a randomly selected, end node.

In one embodiment, the wireless device 240 may be able to program orinstruct another device to change its operation. Example operations,without limitations, can include operating a door lock 242, enablingcomputer access 244, requesting location detection 246 (e.g.,geo-location data), opening the car, opening a house, setting the stateof another device to a user preference, making a payment, detecting useridentify, requesting or transmitting information, engaging in commercialadvertisements including audio or visual ads, handling impressiontracking events, profiling a user, entering a password, and otheroperations or services that can be coupled to, enhanced by or programmedinto the WCC 100. In other embodiments, specific programs 230 can bewirelessly transmitted to the key fob, to enable changing of hisoperation when the button is pressed. The key fob shown in FIG. 7 andhereafter described may also be replaced by or operate with any WCCembodiment, example or application described in this application.

In other embodiments, multiple presses of a WCC button or the button onthe key fob can produce different operations or send out differentinformation to different end nodes. In some embodiments, the number ofpresses can change the amount of power that is provided, and based onthe amount of power, different coded communication information can besent either to the same end node or two different end nodes.

FIG. 8 illustrates an example where a WCC device can be programmed. Theprogramming of the WCC device can include programming and IC 302operation. This operation can include receiving program instructionsfrom another device or from a class system 150. The program informationcan also be saved memory 112 of the WCC device 100. When input isdetected at the WCC device in operation 304, the WCC device can beinstructed to communicate predefined or dynamically formulated data viawireless channels. For example, based on the program stored in memory112, and also based on the detected input 304, the WCC 100 willcommunicate predefined data 306, or a data payload, based on theprogramming stored in memory 112

FIG. 9 shows another example of receiving program in the IC in operation308. The program can be saved to memory 112 of the WCC 100. One a numberof presses is received by a power pump, e.g., a piezoelectric elementdata operation 316, the power supply 310 will receive or generate powerthat is harvested. The power is set to be harvested because the physicalinput that is applied to the power pump will generate an amount of powerthat is saved to a power storage cell of the WCC device 100.

Based on the number of inputs, or the amount of power stored in thepower supply 310, the detected input 312 will cause the WCC device tocommunicate in operation 314 a predefined data or data units to end nodevia a communication channel. The communication channel is a wirelesschannel, which can utilize a wireless network. As noted above, thewireless network can take on various forms and the format of thewireless data can also be formatted in accordance with variousprotocols. In one embodiment, the detected input 312 can also be arequest for data 315, such as requesting data from an end node. The datarequested can be to retrieve data from the message center, retrieve datafrom another end node, retrieve mail, retrieve notifications, retrievepasswords, retrieve encrypted data, and other types of data they can berequested or predefined to be requested.

FIG. 10 illustrates another example where program settings 320 can beset at a website or on a mobile application. In one embodiment, theprogram settings can be stored on network storage. In one embodiment,cloud services utilizing network 120 can operate on the save settings.The safe settings can be associated with specific routines that can beor are requested to be performed at certain times.

The network 120 can also be in communication with a number of servers322. Network storage 324 may also be coupled to the network 120 todeliver the cloud services. In one example, to use the device 326, thedevice is powered up in operation 330. In operation 332, the power stateof the device will cause the wireless chip of the device to communicatewith network storage. The communication with the network storage may be,for example, to retrieve new settings that may be stored in the storage.

For instance, if a user had program new settings via website, the newsettings would be stored and network storage. In this manner, when thedevice powers up, or at specific times, the device can check for newsettings 334. If new settings are present in the network storage, thenew settings can be downloaded to the device via the wireless network inoperation 336. If no new settings are available, the devices enabled tomake predefined communication exchanges consistent with currentlyprogram settings in operation 338. The communications are enabled by thenetwork 120.

FIG. 11A illustrates an example of a WCC device 100 that is integratedwith a wall switch 402. In this example, the switch 402 may not bephysically connected or hard wired to a lighting device 404. However,when the lighting device 404 is associated via a device 100 a that isconfigured to communicate with a WCC device 100, the WCC switch 100 willremotely control the state of the light. Device 100 a can be configuredin numerous ways, and can have several physical implementations. In oneembodiment, device 100 a can be an add-on interconnect, that plugs intoa standard light bulb socket, and then has a female portion forreceiving the threaded portion of a bulb 406. As mentioned above,reference is made to a “bulb” for purposes of illustrating an example,and other lighting features, devices, lighting configurations, things,and structures are equally able to receive wireless data to control,set, toggle, and/or interface therewith via a WCC device 100.

Continuing with the example of FIG. 11A, device 100 a may have aninterconnect with a male thread that inserts into the standard socket ofa lighting fixture, wall, device or object. Within the device 100 a iscircuitry or logic that is configured to communicate with WCC device 100in a wireless fashion. For example, device 100 a can include a receiverthat receives wireless communication data transmitted from the WCC 100.The receiver can have logic, circuitry, a microcontroller, firmware, ora processor that enables the device 100 a to interpret the communicationdata sent to it by the WCC device 100. The wireless data can includeinformation that indicates a desired state for the bulb 406.

As described above, a desired state for the bulb 406 can be to shift toan ON state, an OFF state, a DIM state, a color selection, a scenesetting, a Wi-Fi mode setting (if device 100 a also acts as a repeater),a flash state, etc. In some embodiments, the WCC device 100 cancommunicate directly with the device 100 a of the lighting device 404.In other embodiments, the WCC device 100 will communicate with a serverendpoint 410. in this example, the server endpoint 410 is configured tocommunicate wirelessly with the device 100 a, such as to relay the stateinformation communicated by the WCC device 100. Further, a serverendpoint 410 can also be in communication with storage and/or cloudprocessing or local processing to enable historical tracking of actualuse 410 of the WCC device 100, or to puppet the state of the lightdirectly on a schedule or according to events that may be triggered in ahome automation or alarm system.

For example, data indicative of changes in state of the lighting device404 can be saved to a database over a period of time. Based on theinteraction of the WCC device 100 with the lighting device 404, ahistory with rich data is saved, which can then be data mined in orderto uncover analytic patterns.

The analytic patterns can be used to identify common operational data,which may be associated with specific days, time of days, behaviors, andthe like. The analytic processing can also include machine learning,which can identify patterns in use of the WCC device 100. In oneembodiment, cloud processing can receive the information for processingthe analytics, and identifying patterns via the machine learning. In oneconfiguration, the learned patterns can be used to generaterecommendations.

Recommendations can be sent to the users of the WCC device 100. Therecommendations can also be sent to a user account that is used toaccess the WCC device 100 from another device. In one embodiment, therecommendations can be published to the users that have an interest inthe WCC device 100, or our registered or have privileges to viewinformation regarding the specific WCC devices 100. In one embodiment,recommendations can include providing example lighting scenes, lightingpatterns, lighting timings, power saving options, and other informationuseful for the operator of the WCC device 100. In one embodiment, a useraccessing a user account can select specific recommendations andimplement the recommendations.

The implemented or selected recommendations can then be communicated byan endpoint to the WCC device 100 or directly to the device 100 a. Forexample, a user may be away from home and may receive a notification ormessage indicating that a recommendation is available for the useraccount. The recommendation may suggest automatically turning on lightsor turning off lights in specific rooms for the next day, the nextmonth, while on vacation, during a period of time, during a season, orin response to detected motion or triggering of an alarm. As will bedescribed further, a WCC device 100 can communicate with one or morelighting devices 404, outlets, electrical items in the house, electricalitems in a building, electrical items in a commercial setting, andgenerally any electrical item that has the capability of receivingwireless communication from a network, and such device or item has areceiver for wireless receiving data, determining the instruction, andmaking a setting.

FIG. 11B illustrates another example similar to FIG. 11A. in thisexample, the bulb 406 is already integrated with a device 100 a that iscapable of receiving wireless coded communication. In this example,there is no need for an interconnect for retrofitting bulbs 406 that donot have device 100 a. Accordingly, it should be understood that bulbs406 can be manufactured and designed already include wirelesscommunication receiving and processing logic. In the manufacturing, thewireless receiving logic can be miniaturized and defined in an ASIC,which is powered by the electrical power of the outlet itself. In someembodiments, a transformer is included or built into the bulb 406, so asto provide reduce power levels or appropriate power levels for drivingthe receiver circuit, firmware, assessor, logic, or ASIC.

In some embodiments, device 100 a can also include memory, and thememory can be used to store previously set states. The previously setstates can be retrieved by the server endpoint 410 or another and nodeor even another WCC device 100. As such, the historical use retrieved byserver endpoint 410 can be retrieved from a number of lighting devices404, which may be distributed throughout a building or home. In oneembodiment, each of the lighting devices can be wirelessly paired withspecific WCC devices 100. In another embodiment, a user device, such asa smart phone or tablet can be used to discover the WCC devices anddevices 100 a at a given location.

Once discovered, the devices can be paired or identified so that anetwork can reach the devices. As noted above, the network can includeor can interconnect a plurality of nodes. The plurality of nodes areprocessing nodes, which can be used to repeat, relay, transfer, send,and intercommunicate with other nodes so that data can be communicatedbetween WCC devices 100, devices 100 a and other devices includingservers and logic associated with cloud processing systems.

FIG. 12A illustrates a general, exaggerated & unscaled, example diagramof one of many potential charging and consumption profiles that may beachieved when charging a power storage cell of a WCC device, when theWCC device includes a power pump 102. As noted above, the power pump 102may include a piezoelectric element or material. Generally speaking,piezoelectric devices are solid materials (such as crystals, certainceramics, and biological matter such as bone, DNA and various proteins),which produce electric charge and associated voltage in response toapplied mechanical stress. In some embodiments, the power pump 102 mayinclude electromagnetic or electrostatic materials. In some embodimentsthe power pump may function using electromagnetics or electrostatics, ora combination of any of piezoelectric, electromagnetic, electrostaticsor other power source.

As described above, when a force, such as a mechanical force is appliedto piezoelectric material that defines example power pump 102, charge isproduced which is saved to a capacitor or other storage device. Thecharge of a capacitor typically exhibits in increasing charge profile upuntil it reaches a maximum charge state. A capacitor will then, in somecases, begin to discharge or decay at a particular rate, depending onload profile or tunable attributes in connection with the power pump,and, for example, the type of capacitor, etc. Generally, however, as acapacitor loses charge, the amount of charge stored in a storage cellwill decrease.

In one embodiment, if the power pump is pressed by either direct humanpush actions onto a force applicator of the WCC device 100, or indirectforce is applied by another object, that stress upon the element thatdefines the piezoelectric (or similar) material will produce a givenamount of charge over a particular period of time. In this illustration,the integrated circuit of the WCC device 100 can be pre-programmed orstore a program that identifies a mode of operation. If the mode ofoperation dictates that a certain amount of power must be present inorder to perform the operation, then the capacitor will also have tostore that amount of power for a particular period of time to enable theprocessing to occur, which may also include the wireless chiptransmission of data to an end node.

Still referring to the example of FIG. 12A, a power level Power 1 is setto be needed in order to process a function associated with mode 1. If auser presses once or if mechanical force applied to the WCC device 100that will produce charge that builds up, in this example, for a periodof time and then will decay. If Press 2 is not applied, the processingof mode 1 can occur during a time delta t1. If the processing functionrequires more charge, or the processing function requires multipleoperations such as determining what the sensor data means and thensending the data via the wireless chip to an end node, a press 2 may beneeded to extend the duration of time to delta t2.

If the logic function requires more processing, such as capturing animage using a camera, and sending the image to a specific and node,additional presses may be required to be received by the WCC device 100.For example, if three presses, i.e., press 3, is applied, the durationor amount of charge available will be delta t3.

In some embodiments, the same function can be performed, such as for thesame mode 1, and providing additional presses will allow for more of thesimilar function to occur. For example, if the WCC device 100 is sensingthe opening of the door, the charge stored between 431 and 432 would besufficient to transmit to an end node information that indicates thatthe door has opened. In another embodiment, if the processing functionrequires that the door send information regarding the progress ofopening the door, such as the degree of the door being opened or closedor swinging, additional power may be required between 431 and 433 orbetween 431 and 434.

Accordingly, one implementation of using a power pump is to match up thenumber of mechanical presses required to activate certain functions, andif certain functions require more power to provide or receive additionalpresses. As discussed in this example, the presses should be understoodto be either direct presses by user or indirect presses by an objectsuch as a door opening and the hinge itself applying the presses orimpacts upon the piezoelectric or any material of the power pump.

FIG. 12B illustrates another example similar to FIG. 12A, where a powerpump may be used to charge a storage cell, such as one that can storepower in a capacitive form. In this example, the WCC device may beprogrammed or set to operate a different mode, such as mode 2 thatrequires a Power 2. For instance, this example shows that activation ofthe WCC device 100 and activation of the wireless chip associated withthe WCC device 100 may require a higher level of charge beforeprocessing data and causing the sending of the data wirelessly to aspecific end node or end nodes. For illustration purposes, at least twopresses would be required to activate mode 2. If the function performedby mode to only requires a short duration, the operation can beperformed without pressing for a third time.

For instance, the function can be performed during a duration of timedelta t4, which is between 435 and 436. If the user or device requiresadditional time to perform the mode 2 function, a third press, i.e.press 3 can be applied to the power pump to allow for an additionalperiod of time between 436 and 437. As noted above, it is possible tofurther provide additional power pump presses to the WCC device 100 toenable additional processing and additional communication of informationrelated to the sensed data, captured images, captured videos, dictatedmessages, and/or other information or data packets to be transferred bythe wireless chip over a network to a specific end node, or an end nodeof a cloud processing system, or specific recipients and their devices.

FIG. 12C illustrates an example where a WCC device can be programmed orset to operate a mode 3 program, which requires power 3. In thisexample, the processing function requires a higher level of power toperform the operation, and the duration required for the function mayonly be delta t6, which is between 438 and 439. Similar to the previousexample, if the duration is required to be longer or the mode 3 programcan operate additional times or process additional information, the usercan provide additional presses to the force providing device of the WCCdevice 100. Again, the presses described herein can be intentionaldirect presses by user, such as a finger, his foot, his arm, his leg, orcan be indirectly applied by motion or movement of other physicalobjects.

FIG. 13A illustrates an example of a WCC device 100, associated with alocal proximity 450. In this example, the local proximity can be aphysical distance between the WCC device 100 and other local nodes 452.The other local nodes 452 can be other computing devices that havewireless capability. Other computing devices can include Internetconnected or wirelessly connected computers, cell phones, tabletcomputers, routers, repeaters, they stations, servers, smart watches,smart glasses, personal computers, telephones, vehicles, bicycles,appliances, lighting equipment, and any other device having wirelesscommunication capability. In one specific example, some of the localnodes 452 are capable of receiving communication from WCC device 100.

While it is desirable for a WCC device to operate in a wireless manner aWCC may be configured without a wireless capability but instead includean alternate communication path to engage its function is a pseudo orphantom wireless mode. For example, a non-wireless cold WCC newconstruction light switch can be configured to perform the same functionas its wireless counterpart but can use IP over AC power line to conductcommunication of the payload to any device capable of receiving andacting upon the signal, as previously outlined in the light or outletswitch section of this application previously discussed.

In some embodiments, the local nodes 452 can be paired with the WCCdevice 100. In other embodiments, the WCC device 100 can discover otherlocal nodes 452 even though the local nodes 452 are not pre-paired withthe WCC device 100. For example, the local nodes 452 can be part of amesh network. Broadly speaking, and by way of example, a wireless meshnetwork (WMN) is a communications network made up of radio nodesorganized in a mesh topology. In one embodiment, the WMN is a type ofwireless ad hoc network. Wireless mesh networks may consist of meshclients, mesh routers and gateways and/or other computing devices notedabove. In one example, a mesh clients (i.e., local nodes, remote nodes,end nodes, connected nodes, and generally nodes) define the mesh andassist in routing and forwarding traffic to and from the gateways whichmay, but need not, connect to the Internet.

The coverage area of the nodes working as a single network may also bereferred to as a mesh cloud. Access to this mesh cloud is dependent onat least some nodes proximate to each other working together to create aradio network. A mesh network also provides redundancy. When one nodecan no longer operate, the rest of the nodes can still communicate witheach other, directly or through one or more intermediate nodes. In oneembodiment, wireless mesh networks can self-define and self-repair.Wireless mesh networks can, in one embodiment, use various ones orcombinations of wireless technologies, such as Wi-Fi (e.g., 802.xx),Bluetooth, NFC, radio, and cellular technologies, etc.

Continuing with the example of FIG. 13A, the local proximity 450 canchange if the WCC device 100 is a mobile WCC device 100. As noted above,the WCC device 100 does not have to be fixed to a location and can becarried or moved from time to time. Additionally, other local nodes 452can also move into the local proximity of the WCC device 100 or move outof the local proximity. In some embodiments, local nodes 452 within thelocal proximity 450 of the WCC device 100 can communicate outside of thelocal proximity to a wired or wireless network, where other remote nodes454 may be located.

In general, the local proximity is a relative term, which relates tonodes that are local to a specific node. For instance, one of the localnodes 452 may be capable of wirelessly communicating with remote node454, but WCC device 100 does not directly have wireless communication tothe remote node 454. In one example, the local node 450 to access arepeater or forwarder of the data or information or payload beingtransferred or sent by the WCC device 100 to a specific end node 462.The routing of data from the WCC device 100 to the end node 462 can beover the Internet 460, which couples to the connected node 456. Forexample, the remote node 454 can be wirelessly or wired connected to theconnected node 456. In one embodiment, the connected node 456 can be arouter, repeater, computer connected to the Internet via wire orwireless, or the like.

As described above, the end node 462 is a device, system, cloud system,or recipient of data produced by the WCC device 100. The data routedover a wireless network between the WCC device and the end node 462 istherefore utilizing one or more networks 470. In other embodiments, thecommunication to the end node 462 can bypass the Internet 460. Otherexample networks can include Wi-Fi networks, such as Wi-Fi awarenetworks utilized by devices that discover other devices and transmitand relayed messages to the destination devices. Once the data hasreached the end node 462, the end node 462 can then performanceprocessing to either store data received, forward data to anotherdevice, and data to a database, add data to a big data database utilizefor mining and metric analysis and learning, and/or simply record theoperation so that other devices can view status information orcommunicate data back to the WCC device 100 or a different WCC device100.

FIG. 13B illustrates an example where a WCC device 100 can communicatewirelessly to a connected node 456. The connected node 456, in oneembodiment, may be a router, or computer or device that communicates oris wired to an Internet or network access point. The network 120, whichcan include the Internet or can include local mesh networks orcombinations thereof, can then communicate with the end node 462.

FIG. 13C illustrates another example where a WCC device 100 cancommunicate directly to an end node 462. This example may be where theWCC device communicates a peer-to-peer signal to an end node 462.Peer-to-peer signaling may take place using a local chord overlaynetwork inside a local area network, a chord overlay network outside thelocal area network on a wide area network, or on a combination of both.In another example, the WCC device 100 can communicate signals directlyto another WCC device, which may be represented by the end node 462. Instill other embodiments, a WCC device 100 can communicate with aplurality of WCC devices 100, and one or more of the WCC devices cancommunicate with an end node 462, such as a server or processing entity.In some embodiments, interactions between the WCC devices 100 can berecorded and sent as interaction data to the end node 462. This data canthen be processed by the cloud processing system and utilized forproviding recommendations to users, notifications to users, logging ofdata, or simply providing viewing data or information to interestedusers or recipients of the data collected, sensed, process, orcommunicated over time.

FIG. 14 illustrates an example of the use of a WCC device 100, inaccordance with one embodiment. As illustrated, a door 500 can include ahandle 502, which hasn't integrated WCC device 100. In this example, theturning of the handle 502 can act to produce a force upon an element520, such as a piezoelectric material. The mechanical unit 524 can havea tooth 522 that provides a striking force upon the element 520. Thestriking force can provide a stress upon the element 520, which producesa voltage that can be harvested by a voltage processing circuit 504. Insome embodiments, the mechanical unit 524 can rotate multiple times fora single handle turn.

In other embodiments, the mechanical unit 524 can have a plurality ofteeth 522, which allow for multiple striking to the element 520. Instill other embodiments, multiple elements 520 can be provided anddistributed within the housing so that multiple strikes to multipleelements can be captured and processed by the voltage processing circuit504. The voltage processing circuit 504, as described above, can betuned to optimize the voltage capture and power recovered from thestressed elements 520. The voltage processing circuit can be resonanttuned so that an optimal amount of power is harvested from themechanical input provided to the element 525 the mechanical unit 524force movement or motion or twisting or hammering or bending orgenerally stressing.

In some embodiments, the voltage processing circuit 504 can thencommunicate the power harvested to the power storage cell 506. Powerstorage cell 506 can then provide power to a microcontroller 510 and awireless chip 508. The microcontroller 510 can be associated with memoryor linked to memory for storing a program. The programming data can bepredefined or can be dynamically generated based on the activity oractions performed upon the bed WCC device 100. In one embodiment, when athreshold amount of power has been saved in the power storage cell 506to perform a specific function, the microcontroller 510 can sense thepower level and then activate or turn on to allow for processing thatthen communicates with the wireless chip 508.

As noted above, the wireless chip 508 can then communicate data to anend node. The end node can be one that is receiving data based onpre-programming of the WCC device 100, which identified the end node asa recipient of the data. In other embodiments, the data can betransmitted to repeater nodes which are then used to transmit the datato an end node.

FIG. 15 illustrates an example of a doorway that includes the door 500and hinges 530, to illustrate one example of a WCC 100. In this example,the WCC 100 is integrated into an insertable object that couples to thehinge 530. For example, the WCC device 100 can be connected to orinterfaced with the moving parts of the hinge 530, such that movement ofthe hinge will cause movement or turning of the mechanical teeth withinthe WCC device 100.

For example, the WCC device 100 can include a sub device 532 that housesthe wireless chip, the microcontroller, the power storage cell, and thevoltage processing circuit. Still in this example, the WCC device canhave a sub component 534 that includes the mechanical moving parts thatproduce force upon the elements 520. The elements 520, in oneembodiment, piezoelectric materials that are shown to be stressed by theforce applied by teeth of a mechanical unit within the sub device 534.As the door is caused open, the teeth within the mechanical unit willrotate causing force to be applied to the elements 520, which in turnare harvested by the voltage processing circuit of the sub device 532.

When a sufficient amount power has been stored in the power storagecell, the microcontroller and the wireless chip are cost to communicatedata to an end node. The data can include the simple informationassociated with opening the door or closing the door, they can includethe speed at which the door was opened, it can include the rate at whichthe door was opened, it can include the time when the door was opened,they can include the location of the door, they can include othersensory data associated with a doorway (e.g., sound detection, voicedetection, image taking logic, video recording logic, etc.).

FIG. 16 illustrates an example of a hinged box 540, which may include ahinge 530. This example can also be utilizing the WCC 100 that couplesto the hinge 530, as discussed with reference to FIG. 15. In otherembodiments, the mechanical structure and the number of piezoelectricelements 520 can also be changed based on the size of the box or size ofthe door or other dimensional considerations. In this example, it ispossible the track when a lid of the hinge box 540 is opened or closed.As mentioned above, uses for determining when certain things are openand closed can be tracked, catalog, and used to provide metricsregarding operational characteristics, security, use history, wearhistory, and other data points. Similar to the embodiment of FIG. 15,data transmitted by the wireless chip of the hinge 530 can be sent to anend node, and the end node can either process the data, save the data,recorded data, return data back to the WCC device 100, or perform otherprocessing.

FIG. 17 illustrates an example of the power tool 600, each may implementa WCC device 100. The WCC device 100 can include an element 520 that canbe stressed, and operate as a power pump, to produce power for thentransmitting data to an end node 602. In one embodiment, activation ofthe power tool 600 can cause a mechanical force to be transferred to theelements 620. This example shows a simple mechanical pin 604 impacting,stressing, bending, or generally applying force to element 520. In someembodiments, in addition to the mechanical pin 604, other mechanisms canbe included to strike or provide additional force to the element 520when button 604 is pressed.

In some embodiments, pressing button 605 can be mechanically linked to anumber of mechanical components that ultimately provide the mechanicalimpact upon the element 520. In this embodiment, the power tool 600,even though it's provided with its own power, does not need to power theWCC device 100. Further, because the WCC device 100 provides its ownpower, there is no need for the power tool to include additionaltransformers or circuitry necessary to reduce the power of voltages thatare usable by circuitry of the WCC device 100. In the illustratedexample, the WCC device 100 can be configured or dynamically configuredto send different types of data to a network 120.

The types of data can include activation times, activationgeo-locations, duration of use, impacts upon the power tool, operationaldata regarding the power tool, over heating data, overuse data, used bydifferent individuals, etc. For example, the input button 605 can alsoinclude biometric sensor which can identify a user of the power tool.For instance, the power tool can be issued to specific person or personswho have the ability or license or privilege to use the power tool. Oncethe user presses his or her finger print upon the button 605, the WCCcan include logic to verify the user and allow activation of the powertool 600.

Further, depending on the identified user, the biometric data can alsobe verified over a network 120 with the end node 602. Still further,other biometric sensor data can also be collected from the power tool602, such as skin temperature, sweat, grip strength, and other data.Based on the data that is collected and processed or raw data collected,the information can be sent to the network 620 so that the end node 602can save the data to a log 610. The log 610 can include a history ofuse, metrics of use, locations of use, days of use, and other dataascribed above. In some embodiments, the end node can also be configuredto process the received data and send information to other nodes.

In some embodiments, the end node can be part of a cloud processingsystem. In some embodiments, the end node can be part of a server or isthe server. In some embodiments, other devices having privileges or useraccounts can then log into the cloud system or server to view the dataregarding the use of the power tool 600. The data can include any typesof metric data collected by the WCC device 100, processed by the WCCdevice 100, send to the end node 602, and instructions sent back to thepower tool 600. The instructions sent back to the power tool 600 caninclude information to deactivate the tool, send an audible message,display message on a display device, and the like. The messages can beto notify the user of the power tool certain information. In oneembodiment, the power tool does not include a display but messages aresent to a device such as a user's phone, watch, or to someone orsomething capable of relaying the message to a user, facility ormanagement of the power tool.

The messages can be, for example, please call me, stop using the tool,lunches at 12, we have a meeting in 3 min., the tools overheating, callyour wife, or other messages that are custom designed for the use andapplication of the specific tool. Furthermore, the tool has beenillustrated to be a drill, but any type of tool can be implemented witha WCC device 100 to allow different sensor data to operate, collectdata, and transmit data to a network 120 or directly to the end node602. Still further, the power tool need not be a powered power tool. Thepower tool can also be in non-power tool, such as a saw, hammer, orother mechanical device that can receive a mechanical force, applymechanical force or indirectly apply mechanical force during its use,lifting, storage, etc.

FIG. 18 illustrates an example of a WCC device 100, which can be in theform of a handheld fob. The handheld fob can include the WCC device 100circuitry, such as a power pump 102, a storage cell 106, a wireless chip116, a microcontroller 119, memory 112, and other circuitry or storageor logic. In some embodiments, the individual components of the WCCdevice 100 can be miniaturized, where in some logic or circuitry can bedefined into an application-specific chip, which may reduce the sizefurther and enable more efficient use of power. Button 622 can bedefined as a simple button on the WCC device 100. In one embodiment, asingle button is provided on the WCC device 100.

In other embodiments, multiple buttons can be defined on the WCC device100. The button 622, in one embodiment, provides the mechanical forcethat is applied to the power pump 602. Program code stored in memory 112can defined operation that is predefined for the WCC device 100. Theprogram code can, in one embodiment, be dynamically generated based onthe users input, the environment, the geolocation, the frequency of use,the environmental conditions, the temperature, the weather, the time ofday, the co-location with other devices, the identity of the user, theassigned user ID, the user account, and other factors.

FIG. 19 illustrates another example of a WCC device 100, which can alsoinclude a display 620. In this embodiment, the display 620 can include aspace for showing messages, data, text, images, pictures, videos, or anytype of digital data. As noted above, the display 620 can be a low-powerscreen, such as an E ink screen. In other embodiments, the display 620can be an LCD, and OLED, a pixel screen, or combinations thereof fordifferent parts of the screen. Program code can be stored in memory 112,so as to enable the rendering of data to the display 620, andcommunication of data to and end node, based on the programming. Asnoted above, the program can be updated by a user, they can be preset byfactory, a can be change dynamically based on the conditions, which aremany and can change over time.

FIG. 20 illustrates an example of program code 624, which can bedynamically selected by a user. In this example, the selection by theuser can be controlled based on a number of presses to the button 622.For example, different messages can be preprogrammed to be sent to andend node based on the number of presses. If a single button is used, theuser can select the press a number of times and then hold to enable aspecific message to be sent to an end node. In another embodiment,selection of the message can be to request the data be retrieved andsent back to the WCC display for reading by the user.

For instance, the user can request that text data be retrieved from atexting service or account, or request that an e-mail message be readfrom a mail server, or data be read from a storage device located on acloud-based system, or retrieve data from an Internet service, such asnews, sports scores, weather, stock prices, or any other type ofmultimedia data. In still other embodiments, advertisers can also bepublished to the display screen. Advertisements can be dynamicallyselected and sent by cloud service to the WCC device 100. Theadvertisements can be sent to the user based on information that iscustomized and learned from the WCC device 100. For example, if the WCCdevice is being activated at a sporting event, the advertising can be acoupon for beer at the concession stand.

Accordingly, WCC devices 100 can also communicate with geolocationservers, geolocation routers, geolocation wireless devices, and otherlocation finding devices. The location identification function of a WCCdevice 100, can enable services to deliver data to the screen of the WCCdevice 100, or audio data, or video data, or related data. In someembodiments, the image data, video data and other information can berelayed to the user's smart phone or the user's smart watch. In suchcases, the WCC device 100 can operate and its operation can signal to amedia provider over the Internet that a user may request or need certainservices or data. The data instead of being sent to the WCC devicescreen, can be linked to the user's device, which may be linked in auser account along with the WCC device.

FIG. 21 illustrates an example of the WCC device 100 which may alsoinclude a button 650 that includes a biometric sensor. In this example,the biometric sensor can capture the user's finger prints and use thefingerprint to identify the user and enable the WCC device 100. In someembodiments, multiple users can be paired to the WCC device 100, anddifferent services can be provided to the specific user based on thebiometric ID. For example, in a family environment, a WCC device can beutilized order goods or services. If a family adult is using the WCCdevice 100, the WCC device 100 can be enabled to order specific goods orservices by the click of a button.

In some embodiments, user fingerprints are stored in the cloud and WCCdevices couple to servers capable of retrieving a range of tiered accessfrom simple identity through payment account information, depending onthe intended application. In some embodiments, user fingerprints arestored in the cloud from various cell phone manufacturers includingSamsung Inc. and Apple Inc., and WCC devices couple to servers capableof interacting with data provided by cell phone service providers ormanufacturers.

If the WCC device 100 is utilized by a child of the family, thebiometric sensor would prevent the ordering of certain types of goodsand services, or only the goods and services associated with a profile.The profile the child, the profile of the dolls can then be monitored inthe cloud service to identify the type to goods and services that wouldbe offered, can be ordered, can be selected, can be reserved, etc. bythe specific individual based on the biometric identification. In oneembodiment, the biometric data is transferred by the wireless chip 116to a network 120 so that an end node 660 can process the data.

The biometric data can be processed to verify the biometrics of theuser, such as identifying the user and/or providing access codes or datato enable its use. In some embodiments, the WCC device 100 can be usedto open doors, open cabinets, enabled devices, disabled devices, orprovide general access to applications or data. If the end node 660determines that the biometric sensor data captured by the WCC device 100matches and is verified, a determination is made as to whether theaccess target 622 will be enabled.

The access target, in one embodiment, is simply end node that allowscommunication to specific devices, data, digital data, physical objects,or other information based on a verified biometric code or access code.In some embodiments, a WCC device 100 can also include a camera that isactivated to biometrically image the user. The image can be used toidentify the user and allow access to specific device if theverification is confirmed. Therefore, in addition to a biometric sensortaking a fingerprint, other biometric data can be captured by WCC device100, such as images of the person's eyes, DNA from ambient dust shedfrom the user skin, facial characteristics, saliva, hair samples, orother combinations thereof. In some embodiments, a matrix of biometricdata it is used to provide access to a specific type of thing, such as aphysical thing or digital thing based on the identification enabled by aWCC device 100.

In one embodiment, the program code stored in memory 112 can be updatedbased on the use of the WCC device 100. The updating can occurdynamically over time based on the use, or can also be updated by an endnode which programmatically send data back to the WCC device 100 forprogramming. In some embodiments, the biometric sensor on the WCC device100 can capture a fingerprint and then enable password to be enteredautomatically into a webpage. The password can then be stored in acryptographic form on the WCC device memory 112, and only enabled ordecrypted when the biometric sensor has detected or identified orverified the user.

FIGS. 22A-22F illustrates various examples of communications between aWCC device 100 and various nodes over one or more networks or directlybetween nodes. For example, FIG. 22A shows a WCC device 100 that cancommunicate with a mesh network 670, which can include a plurality ofrepeater nodes that ultimately allow communication of data to an endnode 660. FIG. 22B illustrates an example where a WCC device 100communicates with the mesh network 670 and then directly to an end node660.

FIG. 22C illustrates a WCC device 100 communicate with an Internetaccess point, which then communicates with an end node 660. The end node660 can be a local end node, such as a local computer within the user'shome, or could be a remote computer distributed different part of theworld and interconnected over the Internet. FIG. 22D illustrates anexample of a WCC device paired with a router 674, which then providesaccess to the end node 660. FIG. 22E illustrates an example of a WCCdevice 100 paired with a network device 676 which then communicates withan end node 660. FIG. 22F illustrates an example of a WCC device 100paired with a smart phone 678, which is used to provide access to theInternet or directly provide access to an end node 660.

In still another embodiment, the WCC device 100 can be paired andcommunicate directly to the smart phone, a smart watch, smart glasses, adisplay in a smart watch, display on the smart set of glasses, etc. Asused herein, the term smart refers to a device that is capable ofprocessing data using at least a processor and memory, and communicateswith at least another device, or a network, or the Internet.

FIG. 23 illustrates an example of a WCC device 100 utilized by a user totake a picture, and communicate the picture to end node 660. In thisexample, the WCC device 100 can include storage 702, and an imagecapture device 700. The image capture device 700 can be controlled bythe microcontroller 114, and images taken by the image capture devicecan be communicated via the wireless chip to a network 120, which thencommunicates with end node 660. Storage 702 can store multiple imagesthat have been taken using the WCC device 100.

In some embodiments, the WCC device, is capable of capturing videoimages, sound images, sound and video, vibrations, inertial sensor data,and other capture information. This data can then be communicated over anetwork 122 and end node 660. As mentioned above, geolocation data canalso be captured by the WCC device 100.

FIG. 24 illustrates another embodiment of the WCC device 100, inaccordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure. In thisexample, a microcontroller can be configured to in clued its own storage112 a, which can store program code. The program code can includepredefined instructions that are coded by the manufacturer, the owner ofthe device, or periodically by a cloud processing server. In anotherembodiment, the program code can be dynamically generated based oncurrent activity, based on a program that takes data in an processes newdata out, or dynamically changing over time based on certain conditionsof the WCC device 100, environmental conditions, time of day, uses ofthe WCC device 100, biometric data, inertial data, or other sensor datathat can be multiplexed to define new types of data.

As shown, a button 712 can be pressed to activate the power pump 102 ofthe WCC device 100. The device 710 incorporating the WCC device 100 canbe a box, a door entryway, a refrigerator, an appliance, a vehicle, acomputer, a phone, a chair, table, a bike, exercise equipment, or anyother thing that can register, provide, or interface some type ofmovement, motion, input, force, or relay intended or unintended forcesupon the button 712. In other embodiments, the button 712 is pressed fora different purpose, such as to open a refrigerator, to ring a doorbell,etc. However, a WCC device 100 that is interfaced with that mechanicalbutton 712 can receive information and additionally produce the datathat is communicated to the network 120, and relates end node 660.

As noted above, note 660 can be part of network 120, or network 120 canbe part of note 660. In general, the wireless chip 192 is configured tocommunicate data produced, sense, or processed by microcontroller 114and communicated to an end node 660 for further processing, display, orgenerally providing access by third parties or for machine learningutilize for predicting information needed by a user, or a device.

FIGS. 25A-25B illustrate other example uses of WCC devices 100, inaccordance with one embodiment. As noted above with respect to the useof electrical outlets, light bulbs, electrical fixtures, and otherelectrical wiring disposed throughout a building, house, or environment,the WCC devices can be used to activate certain ones of the lightingfixtures or lighting or electrical fixtures via wireless communicationsignals provided to a network 120. In one embodiment, a WCC device 100can be associated with a light switch, which can be used to control alight bulb via a wire. If the light bulb is wired to the switch, isreferred to as a hot wired device.

However, in addition to being hot wire to a single light fixture, theWCC device 100 can communicate wirelessly information or data forcontrol to the network 120. In this embodiment, network 120 can alsocommunicate with other light fixtures, sockets, or electrical fixtures.As such, it is possible the program the WCC devices 100 to communicatewith devices enabled for WCC communication so that specific lightingprograms can be operated by activation of the single switch. Forexample, if the switch in room 5 is turned on, a specific lightingpattern can be set for the different rooms 1-4.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 25B the lighting patterns can beprogrammed on a device 730 which can include several programs 726, 727,and others. This example shows a portable device utilized to communicatewith network 120, which is used to set programming to the different WCCdevice enabled objects. In this manner, it is possible the program anyone of the switches having a WCC device 100, to programmatically andwirelessly send data to specific enabled devices to control theirinteraction, activity, levels, settings, scenes, and otherfunctionality. In some embodiments, the user can program specific scenesof lighting which are triggered automatically at different times of day,for different events, or from a remote location via a smart phone, smartdevice, smart watch, a computer, a tablet, or any other device havingaccess to a network 120.

FIG. 25C illustrates another embodiment similar to FIG. 25A, except thatthe WCC device 100 is associated with a switch that is not hot-wired tothe lighting device present in room 5. That is, the switch associatewith WCC device 100 in room 5 can be placed at any location on a wall,such as by sticky tape, screws, or simply held in the users hand orplaced on an item or thing in a room or carried from room to room, etc.In this example, WCC device 100 can communicate wirelessly 724 b to alighting fixture, for example that is enabled for WCC communication. Tobe enabled for WCC communication means that the device can receive dataand process instructions received from a WCC device 100.

In another embodiment, the WCC communication can also mean that thedevice can respond and send data in addition to receiving data. In thisexample, FIG. 25D also illustrates that is possible to program specificsettings of the WCC device 100, and its functionality or communicationwith any other WCC devices. In some embodiments, simply communicating aprogram to a network 120 can propagate that information and programmingto specific WCC devices. As noted above, the communication ofinformation can be wirelessly process from remote locations, or fromlocal areas that are proximate to the device is being controlled.

As used herein, proximate locations can include locations that arelocated with the same physical structure, the same room, or locatedwithin a wireless distance that does not require wide area networks, orwithin a few feet, within 10 feet, within 100 feet, within 1000 feet,within 1 inch, within several inches, or variants thereof or any numberbetween any one of said example distances that are proximate or can beconsidered proximate to the WCC devices or end nodes or networks.

FIGS. 26A-E illustrate various examples of WCC devices that can beintegrated into various objects or things. In the examples illustrated,a WCC device can be integrated into a power saw, a vacuum cleaner, aturn knob, a dial switch, a rotating disk, and other types of devicesthat can or would provide direct or indirect movement of an object. Themovement of the object is then directly or indirectly transferred as aforce that's applied to an element of a power harvesting device, whichis utilized to enable the processing and communication of data by theWCC device 100. The processing of information which is communicated canbe sent to the cloud that's part of a network 120.

The cloud, in one embodiment, is part of a server and storage systemthat processes information, or stores information in response to datareceived. In some embodiments, the cloud can also send data based onpredefined programs, or programs that are either systematically updateor updated in ad-hoc fashion, or both, over time. For instance, use ofthe power saw can be tracked and sent to a cloud system, which is thenreporting to a specific end node. The owner of the power tool can thenbe notified, or track the use of the power tool over time by accessingthe website, an application on a smart device, or receiving notificationon some connected device over the Internet. Similar can be said fordevices such as a vacuum cleaner which when moved can activate wheels orbutton presses can activate the turning on and off of the vacuumcleaner, and such data can be sensed and used to process data by one ormore WCC devices 100.

FIG. 27 illustrates an example of a wall switch 750 utilize to turnpower on and off in a specific room or light fixture. In one embodiment,a WCC device 100 is integrated with or connected to a light switch. Insome embodiments, a slider button 752 can be used to set a predefinedprogram that activated based on the different button presses of on andoff. The on and off function can be a rocker switch, and the slider 752can further provide sensitivity adjustment, tuning functions, selectionfunctions, adjustment functions, and other input they can be processedby the WCC device 100, so as to provide specific information to and endnode via a network.

For instance, the activation of the rocker switch can generate orharvest power for the WCC device 100, and the setting provided by theslider 752 can define a dimming operation or level for that WCC deviceto communicate to one or more lighting devices which may be local orremote, but still connected to a network and capable of receiving inputcontrol data from the WCC device 100 based on the settings.

FIG. 28 illustrates an example of a vending machine 800, which may havea screen 802, selection input buttons 804, a slider for dispensing 806,and multiple sensors 808, in accordance with one embodiment. The vendingmachine can receive or harness electrical power from any one of themotions or pushes of buttons 804, screen 802, impacts upon sensors 808,rolling motions on the dispense surface 806, etc. In some embodiments,the sensors connected to an array of WCC devices 100′can also identifywhich type of soda was released, when soda is no longer present in theslot 1, 2 or 3, if a soda can is dispensed empty (e.g. has a differentweight), or the failure of the assistant the dispense soda whenelectronics of the system indicate that dispensing has occurred.

In some embodiments, WCC devices can be used to confirm electricaloperation of a device, such as by detecting whether actual mechanicalmovement of the device has occurred. For instance, a user might selectsoda number 1, and the display screen 802 will indicate that there issoda number 1 available, and then charge the user. However, if sodanumber 1 does not dispense, it is sometimes difficult for the machine toknow that the mechanical function has actually failed to occur. A WCCdevice can identify if the mechanical devices fail to operate becausethere is no motion or impact detected by one of the WCC devices, andthis information can be relayed directly to the electronics of thevending machine 800, or can be relayed to a network 120.

In operator of vending machine's 800 can also receive information from amultitude of vending machines distributed throughout a geographiclocation via network 120. In some embodiments, WCC devices can alsodetect when impact is applied to a vending machine, such as vandalism.In some embodiments, a WCC device can also take pictures when specificto the collections, mechanical actions are applied to the vendingmachine 800. These pictures can be taken even when the vending machineis unplugged.

In still further embodiments, it is also possible to integrate WCCdevices into money dispensing machines. A money dispensing machine istypically the target of vandalism, or theft. Many times, a moneydispensing machine is stolen by criminals who intend to take it to alocation where the dispensing machine can be disassembled. In someembodiments, the disassembly of the machine can cause generation ofpower, and can at the same time track with sensors what is occurring tothe machine. For instance, images can be taken of the thieves as theydisassemble the money dispensing machine, and the WCC device cancommunicate with the network to provide information regarding location,image data of the thieves, sound captured while the machine isdisassembled, and other metrics.

FIGS. 29A-B illustrate examples of retail objects that may be stored onshelves, such as store shelves. In some embodiments, users may reach inthe store shelves and remove one or more of the objects, such as adrink. When the drink is removed from the store shelf, a spring-loadedWCC device can detect that an item has been removed. This informationcan then be sent to a network to identify a quantity of objects thatremain on the store shelf. Often, large warehouses or retail outletsrequire humans to walk store shelves, or visit different stores todetermine when certain products have run out.

In other embodiments, warehouses are also stocked with objects that needto be replaced. WCC devices can be placed in connection with locations,or surfaces, or shelves, or racks, or other structural features thatenable tracking of when specific items are moved, release, interfacedwith, touch, and the like. This information can be collected andutilized in an efficient manner to allow restocking, reordering,re-shelving, and more optimize shelving places for objects if objectsare not being sold. For instance, metrics may be identified of how oftenusers interface with products on shelves.

This information can be critical for store owners to identify whichparts of the store shelves are getting the most users to interact withgoods and services. By using this information, different goods can beresorted and replaced in different areas of the store, a shelf, or areato optimize their sale. WCC devices can therefore detect interactionover time, and the data can be analyzed by cloud systems, servers, orprocesses to provide recommendations for new locations per products,replace the products, identification of products that do not sell,removal of products, and the like. Again, warehouses can also optimizethe storage of parts, mechanical items, large objects, in other thingsthat need to be optimized for placement, orientation, replacement, orthe like.

In some embodiments, advertisers can also be provided with informationregarding products that sell on specific shelves, products that do notsell and placed on specific shelves, shelves the get a lot of viewtraffic, shows the get a lot of interaction, and the like. In oneembodiment, digital advertising can be provided to specific shelves in aretail outlet. The digital advertising can be updated based on the typeof people that are interacting with products, that amount of interactionthat products are interacted with, and or how often products arereplaced on store shelves. In some embodiments, the WCC devices cangather this information and provide metrics data to cloud systems whichare then viewed remotely by decision-makers, such as marketers,salespeople, advertisement specialist, buyers, and others.

FIG. 30 illustrates an example of a home, which may include a number ofWCC devices 100 integrated into various components, objects, things, andwireless communication to a router. In this illustration, 1 room isshown to have a treadmill 902 with an integrated WCC device 100. Whenthe treadmill is used, motion of the treadmill can be transferred to theWCC device 100. In other embodiments, a window 904 can also include aWCC device 100, which may detect when a window is opened, curtain shadesare moved, or other interaction occurs with or in front of the WCCdevice 100.

In some embodiments, an attempt to open the window can also trigger thecapture of an image of the person who is trying to open the window.Sound capture can also occur simultaneously or responsively. Also shownis a door 906 that has an integrated WCC device 100, such as integratedwith a hinge or 2 hinges or multiple hinges. Still further shown is aroom having a table and chairs 908. Chairs can also include WCC devices100, such as those that detect movement of a chair back, pressure uponthe legs of the chair when a person sits on a chair, or other detectionor sensing mechanisms that trigger, interfaced with, or incidentallyprovide forced to a WCC device 100. These devices can process the senseddata, and then communicate with the router, as described above. Insteadof a router, a repeater device, or other computer can be designated toreceive output from the WCC device 100, as programmed by a user, or anentity if the house is being monitored by security company that installsthe security devices.

In some embodiments, the devices are not security devices, but aresimply devices used to track use of different objects or things in ahome. Data associated with the tracking can be monitored by the owner ofthe home, in a private way. Tracking information can also be encrypted,so that only those persons having privileges for viewing the data canview it. The home is shown connected to a network 120, which may be theInternet, which then can provide communication to different and nodes660.

FIG. 31 illustrates a bicycle which may include a WCC device. In thisexample, the bicycle can have a WCC device integrated into the hub of awheel. As the bicycle is moved or someone rides the bicycle around, theWCC device can collect information and at the same time harvest powerfor communicating the information to a network, which is then sent to anend node 660.

FIG. 32A illustrates the use of a WCC device for a user, such asintegration into an ID badge. As the batch moves, movement of the batchcan trigger or cause motion to be transferred to a power harvestingelement within the badge. The badge can also instead include a button,which can be pressed by user to activate the WCC device. In someembodiments, the badge can have a button that is pressed before the useris allowed to enter a specific room or across a specific door, such asin a corporate environment that has security. Data regarding the timesthat the user enter specific doors, activate specific passwords, userspecific machines, or any other interfacing that the user does with orincidentally through the WCC device 100 can be sent to a network 120,and then communicated to a node 660.

FIG. 32B illustrates another embodiment where a WCC device can beattached to the user in a necklace format. In some embodiments, WCCdevices can be integrated into jewelry. The jewelry can be necklaces,wristbands, ankle bracelets, or clothing. Buttons, sliders, snaps,zippers, and other types of moving objects or objects that move againstother objects can be used to generate power, or cost for the harvestingof power that enables the WCC device 100 to provide processing andcommunication with network 120.

In the paper, incorporated by reference herein, titled “A PiezoelectricEnergy Harvester Based on Pressure Fluctuations in Karman VortexStreet”, Dung-An Wang et. al describe in FIG. 1 an operation of apiezoelectric energy harvester element configured to capture energy froma fluid flowing in a flow channel. In the example, a piezoelectric filmis cantilevered from the edge of a flow channel to the topside of aflexible diaphragm. Disposed in the flow channel is a body used todisturb the natural flow of fluid in the channel, causing a vortexstreet turbulence causing a periodic undulation of the flexiblediaphragm, resulting in a mechanical force applied to the piezoelectricelement, causing a pulse of energy to be generated. The presentdisclosure may couple a WCC into a pipe fitting having a diaphragm andpiezoelectric element coupled to the diaphragm. In the WCC pipe fitting,the WCC is able to monitor, track or count the pulses of energyassociated with the flexing of the diaphragm.

A calculation may be made to determine the flow rate of liquid throughthe pipe fitting. In one embodiment, a vortex street disturbance iscaused by a contour change introduced in the pipe fitting. In anotherembodiment, a flow disturbance is caused by a trapezoidal bluff bodydisposed in the flow channel of the pipe fitting. Such pipe fitting maybe made of food grade stainless steel or made out of copper, aluminum,or PEX plumbing material. The flexible diaphragm may be made of foodgrade silicon or other suitable material depending on the application.The pipe fitting may be used in connection with process tracking andautomation in pharmaceutical manufacturing, food processing, beverageindustry, city water meters, pipes coupled to sinks, toilets, etc. Inone example, the WCC is activated upon reaching a threshold energy levelupon a minimum flow of fluid through the channel. Upon activation theWCC counts pulses of the flow and transmits the pulses in a payload orsends payloads periodically with an indication of flow rate. Flow ratemay be computed by the WCC and transmitted or payload data may beprocessed remotely to determine the flow rate. A valve control orprocess control may receive the flow rate and use the rate to adhere toa process. In one embodiment, the WCC sends its ID along with thepayload.

FIGS. 33a-e illustrates another embodiment for use of WCC device. In oneexample, a WCC flow sensor may also be equipped to take an in-vivosample of the fluid while it flows through the channel. One such sensormay indicate density or viscosity and used, for example, to determinethe amount of sugar present in the solution. This would be particularlyuseful in the brewery. Any such secondary sensor may be coupled andactivated using the WCC logic and transmission capability and results oran indicia of data samples may accompany a payload. Payload datacharacterizing or containing an image of the sample may be transmittedwith a time code of when the reading was taken. The data can also beshared with FDA, gluten-free certification process, process automationsoftware, etc. Conditions may be set to signal, flag, modify orterminate a process if results are outside of a set range. Payload datamay be transmitted to a cloud system, shared with authorized services orpersons.

Such devices can also be used for security purposes, such as fordynamically entering different rooms, tracking motion, trackingactivity, tracking geolocation, tracking favorite places, and/ortracking other users that interact with one another which may have theirassociated WCC devices. As such, WCC devices can communicate with eachother, so as to sense other WCC devices when activated. Such WCC devicescan then communicate information to a network, which may identify otherWCC devices that may have been encountered over time, associatedtimestamps, and the locations, or combinations thereof. In anotherembodiment, a temperature sensor is included.

The IC can detect the temperature and can send the data, e.g.,temperature to any remove node, such that the remote node can receivedata in-vivo. In some examples, an element of the WCC can detect pulsesflowing via a pipe, to identify pulses, and this information canidentify types of material or changes in material. In anotherembodiment, a flapping diaphragm to detect temperature, flow, sugarlevels, etc. In other embodiments, a WCC can have multiple flappingdiaphragms, which calculate, detect and send or communicate date to theIC of the WCC or multiple WCCs. In one embodiment, the diaphragm can bea flexible material, which can be connected to a piezoelectric material,as shown in FIG. 33. In other embodiments, multiple thin layers ofpiezoelectric materials may define the structure.

For more information on some of these energy harvesting designs,reference may be made to an article entitled “A Piezoelectric EnergyHarvester Based on Pressure Fluctuations” in Karman Vortex Street,Dung-An Wang, Huy-Tuan Pham, Chia-Wei Chao, Jerry M. Chen, GraduateInstitute of Precision Engineering, National Chung Hsing University,Taichung 40227, Taiwan, Department of Mechanical Engineering, NationalChung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan, ROC.

FIG. 34A illustrates an example of a user 3401 interfacing with the WCCterminal 3400. In this example, the WCC terminal 3400 is a device thatincludes a display screen, and can receive input from the user 3401. Theinput can include, button presses, turns on dials, pumping action,gestures, presses in different regions of the screen, and otherinterfacing functions. By way of example, once the input is provided tothe WCC terminal 3400, the power supply of the WCC terminal 3400 willharvest energy from the mechanical presses or interfaces, and canpresent information on the display screen. As mentioned above, thedisplay screen can be it by stable display, which can hold content onthe display from a previous press, or can refresh the display and thedata, can remain on the display after the press or interface.

As mentioned above, it by stable display example can be, for example,and e-ink type display screen. E-ink is also referred to aselectrophoretic or electronic ink. Sometimes, e-ink displays arereferred to as bistable displays. This means that the screen will beable to retain the information when all power sources are removed. Thus,the display is only consuming power when something is changing. In someconfigurations, e-ink is referred to as a reflective display, as nobacklight is used. Rather, ambient light from the environment isreflected from the surface to the display back to the user's eyes.Further, by way of example, e-ink displays are commonly made frommillions of microcapsules, for each micro capsule contains positivelycharged white particles and negatively charged black particles suspendedin a clear fluid. When a positive or negative electric field is applied,corresponding particles move to the top of the micro capsule when theybecome visible to the viewer. This makes the surface appear white orblack at that spot. Other embodiments may use 3 pigment ink systems, ormultiple pigment ink systems to provide color or the resemblance ofcolor.

The optical component of a film used in Electronic Paper Displays (EPD).In one embodiment, the display screen can be similar to those used onKindle devices produced by Amazon Inc., four other companies. A benefitof having the bi stable display is that data presented on this play canremain presented without requiring additional energy. Continuing withthe example, interfacing with the WCC terminal 3400 can causecommunication or enable communication with a connected device. Asmentioned above, the devices can be those that are previously pairedwith the WCC terminal 3400. In other embodiments, WCC hubs 3402 can bepre-paired or program to communicate with the WCC hub 3402.

As shown, many types of WCC devices can be communicating with the WCChub 3402. In some embodiments, the WCC hub 3402 may be coupled tocommunicate with different WCC devices that are operating as sensors. Asmentioned above, some WCC devices can be configured to be powered byincidental movement by objects, and the movement of those objects cancause the generation or harvesting of power, which can be used tocommunicate information regarding the movement. This information can bereported, for example, to a WCC hub 3402, and that information can bemade available to any number of connected devices, such as cell phones,computers, tablets, terminals, or any other computing device.

In the embodiment shown, the WCC hub 3402 may be connected to a router3404. The router 3402 will therefore have access to the Internet, andcan exchange data with online data sources 3406. Data can also becollected from remote WCC devices that may be connected at locationsaway from the local WCC terminal 3400.

FIG. 34B illustrates one example of WCC terminal 3400, in accordancewith one embodiment. A display screen 3408 can be provided as part ofthe WCC terminal 3400. Information can be presented on the display, suchas greeting information. The greeting information can include directionson how to activate the WCC terminal 3400. In some embodiments,biometrics can be used to enable customized access to the WCC terminal3400.

By way of example, biometrics can include fingerprint readers that canidentify the user by collecting the fingerprint and verifying thefingerprint as associated with a user profile. In this example, the useris instructed to press on the display screen to get status informationregarding his or her home. The entire display screen, in one embodiment,can be pressed down into the housing of the WCC terminal 3400, which cantransfer the mechanical pressure onto a power harvesting device disposedin the housing of the WCC terminal, or wall plate disposed in orpartially and four on the wall where the device is located. In otherembodiments, the WCC terminal 3400 may be a portable device that can beplaced at different locations throughout the home, business, orgenerally the location where a user might be.

Once the screen is pressed, the energy enables communication with an endnode, where information can be processed for the WCC terminal 3400. Thisinformation can be processed by a server, or other computing deviceconnected to the network or end node. In other embodiments, the WCCterminal can communicate directly with a processing node, to retrieveinformation for displaying additional data to the display screen 3408.As shown, information regarding the user's home is presented on thescreen, after it has been retrieved from the network. This information,as shown, can indicate that the alarm system is unarmed, no motion ispresent, the garage is open, and the front doors closed. This type ofinformation is only one type of information that can be programmed to beretrieved for the WCC terminal 3400. Virtually any type of informationcan be retrieved, and customized for the specific application of a WCCterminal 3400.

FIG. 34C illustrates a different type of display, which can be pressedat different locations to activate the energy harvesting and alsoactivate retrieval of information associated with the option. Differentoptions 3410 a-3410 e can be presented on the screen of the WCC terminal3410. In one embodiment, the pressing of the screen can be configured torock from a pivot point in the center, so that selecting differentquadrants or areas of the screen can be enabled, which can signal thetype of information requested by the user.

The user is shown selecting “get weather” 3410 d and the result is arequest to the network, which can retrieve information from a server andremote servers connected to the Internet. This information can then bepopulated for rendering on the screen of the WCC terminal 3400. Asshown, weather information 3410 f has been shown and displayed, afterthe selection. Also shown is the option provided back button 3410 e.

FIG. 34D shows another option of a WCC terminal 3420, which includes arotating knob 3421. In this example, the user can turn the rotating knob3421 to the desired selection option 3420 a-d, and then press down onthe rotating knob 3421. The mechanical motion of turning the knob aswell as the pressing of the knob is used to generate energy that can beharvested, so as to populate data to the screen regions. In thisexample, the user 3401 has selected door status 3420 c, which whenselected can display information 3420 e-g.

As described above, based on the selections made, and the dataretrieved, the display can populate information retrieved, and the usercan select to additionally select more information or details. By way ofexample, the user can press down on the rotating knob 3421 to activate asecond request for additional requests. In other embodiments, rotatingthe knob multiple times can generate power. In other embodiments, thedisplay screen itself can be pressed in.

FIG. 35A illustrates an example of a WCC terminal 3500, with a displayscreen and an outer shell that can be rotated, while leaving the screenin its present nonmoving position. In this example, the screen isdivided up into different locations 3502, 3504, 3506, and 3508. A usercan turn the outer shell to activate the screen, e.g., by producing andharvesting power. The screen can be preprogrammed to present differenttypes of information. In this example, the WCC terminal 3500 can havesections associated with different people living in a home. Once thescreen is activated, the user can press down on a location of thescreen, which can further provide and generate power that is harvestedto communicate with the network and a computing device that can returninformation that is programmed for the user. In some embodiments, theuser's fingerprints can be captured on the screen, and that can be usedto identify the user instead of selecting a section. In this example,the user has selected dad, 3402.

This selection can then present information that retrieved for thatselection, such as programs options 3512, 3514, 3516, and 3518 shown inFIG. 35B. In other embodiments, more options can be presented, and theoptions are not limited to four options. This example shows that theuser has selected “get messages” 3514, which will then provideadditional energy by the press, which pushes down the entire terminal ora portion of the terminal where the user has pressed, or combinationsthereof depending on the data displayed on the screen.

In one embodiment, sensors can be disposed below the screen to identifywhere the user has pressed, and associate the press location to theinformation being requested for that user. The selection shown, willthen present additional data on display 3520, as shown in FIG. 35C. Inone embodiment, the display screen can present options 3522, 3524, 3526,and other options in display region 3528. The information presented inthese areas can depend on the type of information selected and for thespecific user. In some embodiments, the WCC terminal 3500 can alsoinclude speakers 3530 and microphones 3540. This provides for theability of the WCC terminal 3502 play messages, retrieve audio, listento sounds, listen to voice input, listen to coded communication signals,and process selections.

In one embodiment, the user can turn the knob or casing of the WCCterminal 3500, to select a specific option shown in FIG. 35C. In thisexample, the user has selected a message from Bob Smith, which isurgent. In indicator can be disposed on the casing of the WCC terminal3500. In another embodiment, but turning of the casing can highlightdifferent data on the display screen for selection. In one embodiment,once that data is selected, the user can press on the casing or on thedisplay screen or both to provide additional mechanical energy forenergy harvesting. In one embodiment, the turning of the casing andpresses of the casing for the screen or both can provide the mechanicalenergy necessary to harvest energy, and provide the communication withthe end node that can provide the information for the user.

FIG. 36A as an example of the WCC device 3600, which can be used toorder goods or services. As shown, the WCC device 3600 can be used toorder typical household items, such as Tide laundry detergent. A button3602, can be provided on the WCC device 3600. When the user presses thebutton, the button press can communicate with the end node 3606, whichcan provide information regarding the order place by the user. In oneembodiment, in addition to providing information out to a node, forordering an item, the communication link can be bidirectional, toretrieve information that can be displayed on message display 3604.

For example, in addition to pressing the button 3602 the order theproduct, the user can receive confirmation regarding the order beingplaced by the online provider. End node 3606, in one embodiment, can bein communication with a device that provides Internet access, and thusaccess to an online service or product provider. The product can then beshipped by the provider to the user's home or location, which can beprogrammed to the WCC device 3600. The programming of the device can be,for example, facilitated through a computer. The computer can be a smartphone, the tablet, a personal computer, or any other device that cancommunicate to the Internet. The WCC device 3600 can then be paired forcommunication so that activation can order the product or service. Theprocessing provided by the WCC device 3600, is such that information canbe displayed on the display, so that the user can get confirmation of anorder or information regarding past orders, or information regarding thelast ordered products, or can provide feedback to the service provideror products provider.

The data retrieved can be for example, different types of informationRe: a purchase that's made, historical information regarding a purchase,information that can be predicted regarding purchases or past purchases,recommendations regarding purchases, confirmations regarding cost spent,information regarding shipping information, information regardingaccount information, information regarding social connections that arealso purchasing goods and services, rewards information, coupons,information regarding bonus points earned, loyalty points, and otherinformation regarding services or goods that are purchased using the WCCdevice 3600. As mentioned above, the good or service associated with WCCdevice 3600 can vary, and the messages and information presented on themessage display 3604 can change depending on the context of the good orservice and or the context of the user or friends of the user.

FIG. 36B illustrates an example of various types of messages and orresponses that can be displayed or presented to the user in the messagedisplayed 3604. The list of examples should not be viewed as anexhaustive list, but simply as an example. As shown, when message can bea purchase confirmed message 3604 a, a delivery estimate message 3604 b,a message indicating a number of items purchased for a period of time3604 c, a message requesting the user to take a survey 3604 d, a messageindicating to the user that based on historical use of the product thatthe user will run out soon 3604 e, a message asking the user if theywant to switch to a different product type 3604 f, a message indicatingthat one box was ordered and the amount charged 3604 g, a messageindicating an option to post information to a social network regardingthe product 3604 h, a message asking the user if they wish to purchase abox for a relative or friend 3604 i, etc.

In the example of taking a survey, the user can interact with the surveyin operations 3610 a-3610 d, by providing input via the button 3602. Asnoted, pressing the button one time, two times, three times, multipletimes, can be used to provide power generated by energy harvesting bythe WCC device 3600, and can also provide for communicating with the endnode 3606 for retrieving information use for rendering information onthe message display 3604.

FIG. 37A illustrates an example of a WCC device 3700 which can beconfigured for use by persons with disabilities. These uses can be, forexample, by implementing WCC devices 3700 directly onto equipment usedby such persons, such as the illustrated wheelchair. Other uses caninclude uses by those with illnesses or injuries. Hospital rooms and/orbeds, hospital bathrooms, intensive care units, ambulances, etc., canalso find uses for such devices. In one some embodiments, a WCC device3700 can be configured to interface with a hearing aid 3720. The personneeding assistance may, for example, press a button to ask for help, anda response by a nurse can speak directly to the person by sending audio,a message ID, a message, or coded sounds to the person's hearing aid.

The user, to respond, can press the button and send a reply. The WCCdevice 3700 is therefore able to function as a communication device,which is pre-programmed to communicate with specific people, e.g., carepersonnel or the like. A benefit of a WCC device 3700 is that it cancommunicate with an end node without requiring a battery, which bedepleted, leaving the person without help. In one configuration, themechanical press by the user's finger is used to generate power that isharvested for use as a power source 3712, as shown in FIG. 37B. In otherembodiments, other power sources may be used, not limited tomechanically harvested power.

The WCC device 3700 is shown to include an integrated circuit (IC) 3710that is programmed with the instructions for enabling communication andexchange of data. The programming can also include, for example, thepairing data for enabling the WCC device 3700 to communicate with aspecific end node, which can relay or process data for generating aresponse. A microphone 3706 and a speaker 3704 may also be provided,which is interfaced with the IC 3710. A communication circuit 3708 isprovided, in one embodiment, to enable wireless communication with anetwork, for accessing a device/end node that can process informationand return information for display or audio response to the user.

In an alternative embodiment, the WCC device 3700 may be configured withRF harvesting logic and circuits, instead of a mechanical energyharvester. The RF harvesting logic and circuits can, for example,harvest RF energy from one or more local devices to provided power forthe power source 3712. Example RF harvesting logic and circuitry may befound in a paper entitled Wi-Fi RF Energy Harvesting for Battery-FreeWearable Radio Platforms, by Vamsi Talla et al., 2015, and a paperentitled Powering the Next Billion Devices with Wi-Fi, by Vamsi Tella,et al., 2015, which are herein incorporated by reference. Otherimplementations of the communications circuit 3708 is to implement Wi-FiBackscatter, which uses RF signals as power sources and reuses existingWi-Fi infrastructure to provide internet connectivity to battery-lessdevices.

An example of Wi-Fi backscatter is described in a paper entitled AmbientBackscatter: Wireless Communication Out of Thin Air, by Vincent Liu, etal., 2013, which is herein incorporated by reference. It shouldtherefore be understood that embodiments and implementations describedherein that use mechanical input to harvest power, e.g., power pumps,may be replaced with devices that use batteries, are hard wired topower, or receive power of the air using any number of RF harvestingconfigurations.

FIG. 37C illustrates an example implementation of a WCC device 3700 thatcan be programmed to send requests, receive data and/or processcommunication data based on a number of presses provided. In thisexample, the WCC device 3700 is one that is simply has one button, butother devices can have other interfaces, such as spinning dials, levers,plungers, display screens, finger print readers, etc. With thisunderstanding, the one button configuration is able to be activated,e.g., from a sleep mode, by pressing the button one or more times inoperation 3730.

After activation, the WCC device 3700 can provide a message via a screenor a speaker, providing options. In the example of a person who might bein a hospital or care home, the options can be, e.g., press once to callfor a nurse 3732, press twice to request food 3734, press three times toget help 3736. If the WCC device 3700 provides audio output forinterfacing with the user, the audio may also be communicated to theuser's hearing aid 3720, as noted above.

In another embodiment, if the user watching TV, the TV can be an endnode that can display text/audio or information to the user in responseto the button press(s). The response can be provided, for example, viathe speaker of the TV that the user is watching. The TV may mute, forexample, and the nurse can provide audio communication to the user. Ifthere are other audio producing devices in the room, e.g., connectedspeakers for music, those devices can be used to provide the response toa user implementing a WCC. In one embodiment, the user, by pressing thedevice may provide audio response, captured by the microphone 3706,which are transferred to the nurse over the network.

In this example, a computing device of the nurse can receive the input3738 from the user, in response to the button press(s). The WCC device3700 may optionally provide positive feedback to the user, to let theuser know that his or her request was received in operation 3740. Forinstance, if the user needs help, and presses three times, the nurse cansend an audio reply “on my way” or the like.

FIG. 38A illustrates an example of a user interfacing with an artificialintelligence (AI) bot 3810. Reference to Echo, an Amazon Inc. product,is only be way of example to the functionality usable for interactingwith WCC devices 3802. In some embodiments, the AI bot functionalitycould be integrated into a WCC device or a plurality of connected WCCdevices. In this example, the user sends a voice input 3804 to AI bot3810, and WCC device 3802 may reply with information (e.g., sensed data,data collected, state data, data from other WCC devices, data collectedfrom the Internet, etc.). AI bot 3810 can then provide a voice reply3806 to the user. The data returned by the AI bot 3810 may be simply thedata collected from the WCC device(s), or can be augmented with otherdata collected from the Internet and processed.

FIG. 38B illustrates an example of a user interfacing with a WCC device3820, which is processing AI bot logic 3822. In one configuration, theAI bot logic 3822 may be an interface for communicating with a computerconnected to the network that can process AI bot instructions with moreprocessing power. The computer can then reply back to the AI bot logic3822, with a response for presentation to the user, e.g., via a voicereply.

In another embodiment, the WCC device 3822 is a more powerful device,which can itself process the AI bot instructions, and generate repliesto the user responsive to the queries. The WCC device 3820 in oneembodiment may include one or more microphones 3830 and one or morespeakers 3832.

FIG. 39 illustrates an example of a user providing a query to the AI bot3810. The query is, for example, “when was the door opened last”? Asshown, voice input 3804 is provided to the AI bot 3810, and voice reply3806 can be provided back to the user. The AI bot 3810 can processinformation by pulling WCC device 3900, to obtain information that wasdetected based on opening and closing motions of the door. As mentionedabove, the door can include a WCC device 3900, which can be powered bymechanical motion of the door itself, thus defining incidental powergeneration that is harvested and used by the communication circuitry ofthe WCC device 3900. As mentioned above, the WCC device 3900 may also oralternatively include a battery or other power source, such as RFharvested power. Passive Wi-Fi, RF back scattering, inductivetransmission, and other types of power transfers can also be used topower the WCC device 3900.

The AI bot 3810 can therefore report back information that it receivedin response to a query made to the WCC device 3900. In otherembodiments, another WCC device can be used as a proxy for communicationwith the AI bot 3810. In other embodiments, a network attached hub canbe used for communication with WCC device 3900, which can capture motiondata associated with the door or other object that is being sensed orcan be sensed for activity or data generation. The AI bot 3810, andtherefore interrogate the hub, instead of directly communicating withthe WCC device 3900. The report back regarding the motion, can includedata regarding a number of previous motions or movements of the door3900. In one embodiment, the data reported that can be filtered based onthe type of request being sent. In this case, the filtering hasoccurred, since the request by the user was to identify when the doorwas last opened.

Given the context of the question, the AI bot 3810 can filter out otherinformation regarding the door having the WCC device 3900. For instance,the response will not include information of when the door was lastclosed, or when the door was open most during particular times of day,or when the door was closed hard, or when the door was closed softly, orthe rate at which the door was opened or closed, or other data that canbe sensed. In some embodiments, the door can also be associated withother WCC devices that can sense other information. For instance, otherinformation can include data collected by motion sensors proximate tothe door, image sensors proximate to the door, sound collection devicesproximate to the door, etc. These other WCC devices can also be queriedby the AI bot 3810, to provide more specific information regarding thedoor when requests are made to the AI bot 3810.

In one embodiment, learning algorithms can be processed by the AI bot3810, to identify frequently asked questions, questions that are relatedto specific objects, pre-identify information to filter, optimizeresponse statements, optimize data sources to check on the Internet forsupplying information, learning which WCC devices should be queried inresponse to a request, optimizing and ranking WCC devices that hold morerelevant information to particular questions or requests, comparingtypes of questions asked by other users for similar types of questions,learning by big data mining of requests and responses made to WCCdevices by remote connected users, examining the community database,finding similarities in types of requests and responses for WCC devices,promoting certain WCC devices over other WCC devices in view of thecontextual questions, and other processing metrics. These types ofanalysis can be performed in order to provide more accurate and specificinformation to the types of requests made by users for WCC devices orIOT devices, which may be present in specific areas or which may holdinformation that is sensed, gathered, stored, or produced by WCC devicesor IOT devices from time to time.

In some implementations, the learning and predicting embodiments mayutilize learning and prediction algorithms that are used in machinelearning. In one embodiment, certain algorithms may look to patterns ofinput, inputs to certain user interfaces, inputs that can be identifiedto biometric patterns, inputs for neural network processing, inputs formachine learning (e.g., identifying relationships between inputs, andfiltering based on geo-location and/or state, in real-time), logic foridentifying or recommending a result or a next input, a next screen, asuggested input, suggested data that would be relevant for a particulartime, geo-location, state of a WCC device, and/or combinations thereof.In one embodiment, use of machine learning enables the AI bots and/orWCC device processing systems to learn what is needed by the user, at aparticular time, in view of one or more operating/status state of theWCC devices or IOT device, in view of one or more state of one or moresensors and historical data from databases (local or connected over theInternet).

Thus, one or more inputs or data presented to the user may be providedwithout an explicit input, request or programming by a user at thattime. In one embodiment, reference is made to learning and prediction,wherein both terms may be referencing the same or similar function,e.g., looking at user interactions, preferences, tendencies, etc., inorder to identify or select a particular type of data that may be usefulfor the user based on the learning or prediction. In other embodiments,learning may be defined closer to the traditional sense of machinelearning, pattern learning, historical data input analysis, etc., whileprediction is may be defined closer to the traditional sense ofidentifying some data, which is predicted to be relevant based onanalysis of the context in which the data is predicted. In still otherembodiments, prediction and learning may be hybrids, used in conjunctionfor providing contextually relevant supplemental content to a useraccount, a user device, or some target associated with a user account orprofile.

Overtime, machine learning can be used to reinforce learned behavior,which can provide weighting to certain inputs. This data, combined withother data, may be used to recommend data regarding information that canbe obtained in particular locations. It should be understood that theseare just simplified examples to convey examples of recommendations whichmay be based on some learning, preferences or pattern analysis, orlikelihoods.

Thus, context awareness across multiple dimensions will allow for moreaccurate predictions, learning (e.g., by building and refining behaviormodels), and surfacing/suggesting recommendations of supplementalcontent or settings, when it is most probable or likely or useful, orneeded by the user, or relevant at a current or proximate or near ordestination geo-location.

For purposes of providing example ways of processing learningalgorithms, machine learning methods, predictions, data analysis, andthe like, without limitations to any specifically claimed embodiment,reference may be made to a book entitled “Introduction to MachineLearning”, Second Edition, by Ethem Alpaydin, The MIT Press (ISBN978-0-262-01243-0), Cambridge, Mass., London England (2010), which isherein incorporated by reference for all purposes.

FIG. 40 illustrates another configuration of interface by a user with avoice handler 4000, which can be connected to a network device. Thenetwork device can be any type of device that provides connectivity todevices whether wired or wireless. The network device can be forexample, a router, a switch, a modem, and other computer, a server, awireless communication device, a transmitter, a repeater, another IOTdevice, another WCC device, etc.

The voice handler 4000, may be the WCC device, which is programmed theprocess logical operations for responding to requests for informationfrom the user. The user may communicate with a microphone 4008 and aspeaker 4006, which may be integrated or coupled to the voice handler4000. The voice handler 4000, in one embodiment, can be processing AIbot logic, and can communicate with the network device for obtaininginformation from WCC devices. The WCC devices, in one embodiment, may belocal devices that are sensing information. In another embodiment, theWCC devices may be remote devices that are connected to the networkdevice over the Internet. For example, some WCC devices may beco-located with the user, such as in the same home.

Other WCC devices may be remote, such as at the person's office,vacation home, another country, or simply another place that isconnectable over the Internet. In this embodiment, the voice handler4000, can provide information regarding status from the WCC devices. Insome embodiments, a WCC logic hub 4004 may be connected to the network.The WCC logic hub 4004 can be configured to communicate with WCC deviceseither periodically, or when data is requested. In some embodiments, thedata gathered by the WCC logic hub 4004 can be stored to another WCCdevice, which can function as a storage device that can log informationregarding the status collected from other WCC devices. The log 4004 canalso be stored to a storage device that is connected to the network. Thestorage device can be a local storage device or can be a remote storagedevice, e.g. cloud storage. In this manner, the voice handler 4000 canrequest information regarding the WCC devices and information can beprovided back to the user in either a direct manner, where the WCCdevices are interrogated at the point of the request, or indirect wherethe WCC logic hub 4004 is interrogated for status information that waspreviously collected and stored to a log or storage.

Broadly speaking, the WCC logic hub 4004 can be a networked device,which connects directly to a local network. The WCC logic hub 4004, inone embodiment, can be connected to a power outlet and can function tocommunicate with the WCC devices that may be connectable within thenetwork. In other embodiments, the WCC hub 4004 can communicate over theInternet and collect information from other WCC logic hubs 4004, whichin turn collect information from other WCC devices. As used herein, itshould be understood that WCC devices can also be referred to as IOTdevices.

FIG. 41A illustrates an example of a user interfacing with a WCC 4102,which can function as a terminal for communicating with the hub 4110,which in turn communicates with WCC devices over a network, in oneembodiment. For example, the user can simply approach a WCC terminal4102, which can collect information requested via a microphone 4106. Therequest can be sent to a hub 4110, which can then interrogate WCCdevices or access a log of information that has previously beencollected and saved from communication with WCC devices. The hub 4110can therefore provide information back to the WCC device 4102. Theinformation can then be communicated via a speaker 4104.

In one embodiment, the microphone 4106 and the speaker 4104 can beintegrated into another WCC device, or can be part of another device.For instance, the microphone and speaker can be part of a user smartphone, or can be part of a user's smart glasses, or can be part of auser's hearing aid, or can be part of the users WCC device that iswearable. As shown, a local AI bot can also be executed to provideresponses made to the hub 4110. As mentioned above, the local AI bot canquery the hub or WCC devices in order to collect information, synthesizeinformation, filter the information, and produce an intelligibleresponse back to the WCC device 4102.

In other embodiments, an AI bot service 4120 can also be accessed over anetwork, to provide more information from other sources distributedthroughout the Internet. The AI bot services, for example, may beprovided by commercial entities, that process request using machinelearning and or deep learning algorithms.

By way of example, a process flow for making the request and receivingdata back from WCC devices that are either local or remote can includethe numbered steps 1 through 8. These example steps are only providedfor purposes of understanding one process flow, and should not limit themany additional or alternate process flows possible for requestedinformation associated with WCC devices.

FIGS. 41B and 41C illustrate examples of queries made to the WCC device4102 at step 1, and the responses received by the user from the WCCdevice 4102 at step 8. For example, the user can request informationsuch as “when will my son be home?”, in step 1, and the response may be“he is expected home at 4:20 PM; he stopped for ice cream at First andMain.” In other query can be, “how long did the vacuum run today?”, instep 1, and the response may be “it looks like it was use between 2:15PM and 2:40 PM today, and it needs a new bag.” These examples are onlyprovided to show that information can be collected from sensorsassociated with WCC devices, and the information can be collected frommore than one WCC device in order to provide coherent information thatrelates to the question and the context.

The WCC can provide the consumer and industrial benefits to tracking,inferring and reporting activity associated with AC devices whendirectly coupled to the AC power cord.

FIG. 42A shows an appliance or object requiring power may be coupled toWCC device through the power cord that is connected to the objectrequiring power. The WCC may detect if the plug is connected to the ACoutlet. It can detect current flow. It can use fingerprinting techniquesas described to detect the appliance coupled to the outlet. It can usefingerprinting techniques, as described; to detect the status of theappliance coupled the outlet. When equipped with a temperature sensor,the WCC may also detect and report the temperature of the power cord.

TABLE 1 AC Power Cord WCC Detected AC Outlet WCC Detected StatusAppliance Coupling Cord Temp AMPS #1 Fully Charged Samsung Quick PluggedIn 69 F. 1.5 A Charger #2 N/A N/A Not Plugged in 68 F. 0 W GE Mx23 30 #3Compressor Running Cu. Ft. Plugged In 71 F. 5 A #4 On Standby LGMicrowave Plugged In 68 F. .5 A #5 Cutting Craftsman Circular Plugged In78 F. 5 A Saw #6 Vacuuming Dyson DC65 Plugged In 69 F. 6 A #7 IdleGarage Door Opener Plugged In 75 F. .4 A #8 N/A N/A Plugged In/ 68 F. 0W Circuit Tripped #9 Pushing Air Hospital Breather Plugged In 68 F. 2 A#10  2.4 second pause Hospital Breather Plugged In 68 F. 2 A #11 Conveyer @ 4 MPH Industrial Conveyor Plugged In 85 F. 15 A Belt #12 Fault! (unknown) GzFreezer Plugged In 150 F.  20 A

The AC cord WCC tracks state data and wirelessly transmits the data tothe network, end node, hub etc. Therefore, the state data of AC poweredobjects can be integrated into a management system capable of providinguseful tabulation of activity of such uses of the devices, notificationon events and upon reaching thresholds based on the tabulated activity,and the like. The management system may keep track, using WCC-basedcords or WCC-based outlets, the total accumulated instantaneous load onany particular circuit, to flag conditions that may lead to a circuitbreak trip event, before it happens. Cord temperature may be used as asafety monitor or proxy for AMPS flowing through the cord whennormalizing the value against ambient temperature, or current can bedirectly measured, and such may be monitored and triggered alerts, evensuch actions as closing of a circuit (i.e. using a WCC device with arelay to open or close AC power flow). The management system may formpart of, or manage a DLC cluster and enable tracking and control of aplurality of ad-hoc JOT devices.

Using the fingerprinting techniques that are described herein or othersimilar techniques that may be developed in the future, the AC-powercord WCC may perform signal analysis in connection with the jitter orripple on the AC line to infer the state of the device. Such signalanalysis may be performed on the WCC but preferably, given thecomputational load and energy requirements, it is preferred that the WCCtransmit the data characterizing the ripple signal modulation on the ACline to a management layer or other service capable of performing thesignal analysis to determine the identity and status of the devicecoupled to the cord.

The WCC may continuously wirelessly stream such ripple signal modulationto an end node or, it take an appropriate length of samples at someinterval and duty cycle to enable the fidelity of detection necessaryfor the type of device. Whether to continuously stream or sample,depends on the application, but it may be dynamically set for acondition or device type. For example, if a condition occurs whensampling in non-continuous mode the WCC may be set to operate incontinuous mode to further investigate or monitor the device. In afactory, continuous stream would likely be used as the WCC can track thepower consumption change over time with enough data (from either thepower consumed or the ripple modulation on the AC line or both) to inferthe speed of conveyor belt, the amount of pressure in that a pump isexposed to, a point in time when a current spike occurs etc.

Such may be combined with ITTT rules to integrate with other systems andprocess control. For example, to keep an assembly line or other processsynchronized or managed. Other uses would include a notification ortrigger to flag a replaceable item in the field, such as saw blade orpump, by tracking the hours such has been in use vs the manufacturer'slife expectancy of the device, to ensure that the device is changedbefore it causes a device failure or causes a workplace or home or humanenvironmental danger.

FIG. 42B shows an embodiment where the WCC device can be attached andremoved from the power cord. The cord may be of a legacy type or onespecifically made to accommodate a snap-in WCC. In the latter case, thecord may contain appropriate current sensor coil(s) that providesadequate coupling for energy harvesting via induction and sensingcurrent flow.

FIGS. 42C and 42D show how a WCC sensor can also be built into a powercord or connected to a power cord or attached to a power cord. The WCCsensor can be equipped inline into a female to male plug adapter. In anyof the embodiments herein referring to AC power, the WCC may also beequipped with AC power flow control relay where a management layer maytransmit to the WCC a control signal that sets the state of the relay.This will determine whether or not electricity is allowed to flowthrough the power cord. ITTT rules in a management layer may be used toenable and disable, for example, tools in a workplace, according to thecollective state of the tracked tools and environment, to optimize forsafety, or speed, quality, or any optimization for that matter.

In a removable WCC AC cord embodiment, the WCC may be housed in anotched sleeve to allow the WCC to be easily removed and whenreattached, allow the power cord to pass through the sleeve, providingappropriate coupling to enable operation of the WCC. To avoid magneticfields from the two AC wires cancelling each other out, the WCC currentsensor portion may be sleeved around one wire.

In operation, a magnetic field is induced in the power cord due tocurrent flow, and the lines of flux appear as circles with the axis ofthe circles parallel to the cord wire. Therefore, in order to harvestenergy and characterize the flow of AC through the cord, a coil may beused, where a voltage is induced in the coil due to magnetic coupling.To measure current flow using induction in one embodiment one of the AChot wire will pass through a core having another winding into which avoltage proportional to current will appear to the WCC. The voltage willbe proportional to the number of turns on the core and the resistance ofthe load connected to the winding.

The AC-cord WCC may use a power source of harvested energy usingtechniques described herein but also those based on principals known,where a circuit is powered through an induced voltage. However, in oneembodiment, the WCC harvests RF energy to provide energy to operateitself. In several cases, the WCC will be coupled to an AC power cordand operate using Passive Wi-Fi.

In another construct, the WCC operates using a combination of PassiveWi-Fi and additional energy harvesting through AC inductive orcapacitive coupling from the power cord itself. In another construct,the WCC communicates using Passive Wi-Fi and senses current flow usinginductive coupling from the power cord itself. In another construct, theWCC transmits a characterization of the coupled signal from the powercord itself to infer state of the cord and device(s) associatedtherewith.

FIGS. 42E-42F shows an embodiment where capacitive coupling is used,where a sense coil 4251 is coupled to or brought near AC lines to inducea voltage drop in the coil probe, and the human body is used as themains earth by electrical coupling of touch to one end of coil. Thus, avoltage drop across the coil may be amplified using a high gain FET/FETop-amp to create a DC voltage which may be used to trigger a WCC payloadindicating that a human is contact with the cord.

In some embodiments, capacitive coupling is used, where a sense coilhaving an earth ground is coupled to or brought near AC lines to inducea voltage drop in the coil probe, a voltage drop across the coil isamplified using a high gain FET/FET op-amp to create a voltage which maybe used to indicate the absence or presence of AC in the cord. Anysensor data from any WCC, including the above or below, may be coupledthrough an A/D converter analog measurements can be transmitted usingdigital communications.

In another construct, using (a) harvested RF, (b) magnetic inductivepower source or a combination of (a) and (b), a hall-effect sensor, anamplifier and an A/D converter can be used to detect the current flowingthrough the cord, convert it to digital and wirelessly transmit thedetected current to an end node. In one embodiment of this construct,Passive Wi-Fi using backscattering technique is used to deliver thewireless payload to an end node.

A temperature sensor 4211 may be coupled to the WCC to enable the WCC toreport the temperature of the power cord in the transmission payloadcommunicated from the WCC. A WCC may add to its data payload thecharacterization of jitter signal or fingerprint that is modulated ontop of the detected AC signal and as previously described, suchfingerprint may be analyzed in connection with the type of devicecoupled to the power cord, to determine the state of the device.

The present inventors believe that the tracking of fingerprint data fromAC devices can be used in connection with a deep learning cloud servicesand further that a machine learning cloud service will evolve to raisethe fidelity and number of Detected Status states that a managementsystem coupled to a receiving end node will be capable of tracking andproviding utility therefor. In several embodiments herein, Google,Amazon, Samsung, Apple platforms are expected to participate in the ecosystem of the present disclosure.

FIG. 42G shows another use of the WCC which is configured to support anAC plug and outlet pair having control for wireless WCCelectromagnetically actuated lock to ensure that the plug stays in thesocket. The WCC may receive wireless commands to lock and unlock theoutlet. Any connector or wiring harness may be used with a similarlocking structure, not only AC based plugs. And in addition tocontrolling flow of current to the actuation coils to lock and unlockthe plug to the outlet, the state of the lock structure may also bedetected and reported by the WCC.

The terms “wireless chip” and “logic chip” may be the same device orcircuit. In some cases, a reference to a wireless chip may include suchchips that have logic capability. The present disclosure provides for amechanism to expand the range of Passive WIFI or any backscatterreflection scheme by managing a mesh of field emissions from more thanone “always plugged in” tone generators. In one embodiment, the fieldemission sources are network connected using another radio channel. Inanother embodiment, the field emission from the multiple tone generatorsare controlled via Power-line communication over AC wires. Other ways tosync are possible, including direct Ethernet connections, etc.

In one embodiment, having two or more emission sources, the benefits ofhaving expanded range of operation is evident, however it is beneficialto coordinate the emission sources to ensure that commands that areissued to WCCs do not incur cross talk since, in some embodiments, atborder situations where the emission sources mix, cross talk couldresult in communication error in the reception of commands from the tonegenerator emission source, the “always plugged in” device (which shouldnot be taken literally as requiring to always be plugged in but rathermeans it must have a robust power supply to support the broadcastemission source over time).

It is beneficial to either completely avoid overlapping signals acrosszones when using multiple emission sources in Passive WIFI, or to takebest efforts to synchronize the emission fields and pad the encoding ofcommands to ensure for reality of signal propagation conditions thepresent themselves. In one embodiment, when using multiple fieldemission sources, one scheme will ensure that each command is propagatedso that it does not overlap with any other command in any adjacentsource emission zone. Adjacent zones are zones that has the potential tooverlap each other, causing signal error. In one embodiment, when usingmultiple field emission sources, one scheme will ensure that eachcommand is propagated so that it does not overlap with any other commandin any emission zone regardless of whether it is adjacent or not.

In another embodiment, the emission sources are synchronized so commandsare issued across all zones in synchronicity. Therefore, commands sentto WCCs do overlap between zones, so a scheme for encoding commandsshould accommodate for one or more of the group consisting of slighttiming variations, room reflections, and synchronization drift, toensure that WCC devices that straddle a border between zones can stilldecode a transmission even if one of the zones is subject to signalanomalies. The spacing of bits in the protocol must be wide enough toaccommodate for this issue.

In another embodiment, the field emission sources are coordinated socommands do not overlap but based on quality of service measurements ofnetwork performance, the scheme may change to a synchronized emissionsource scheme, as previously described. Similarly, in anotherembodiment, the field emission sources overlap and are synchronized butbased on quality of service measurements of network performance, thescheme may change to a scheme where the commands do not overlap.

In another embodiment, the choice of whether to pursue broadcastsynchronization of commands that overlap or not to overlap may alsodepend on the QOS requirements for the services running. Therefore, asservices are modified, such may trigger the scheme of managing the fieldemission source.

In some embodiments, a power cord can be monitored for activity of adevice. By way of example, a standard power cord that's plugged into anAC outlet can be monitored by a passive WCC device. The passive WCCdevice can be a device that attaches to any portion of the power cord,which can detect inductively the state of the device connected to thepower cord. For example, if the power cord is connected to a blender orany other appliance or device connectable to an outlet, when power isdrawn from the outlet, current flows through the power cord. Currentflowing to the power cord can be detected using an inductive detectorthat detects the state of either on or off of the device connected tothe power cord.

The inductive detection of current flowing to the power cord cantherefore signal to the WCC device circuitry to send a signal to an endnode that reports the activity of the device. The passive WCC device canbe powered in a number of ways described throughout this document. Oneway can be the power the passive WCC device using passive Wi-Fi. Inanother embodiment, the WCC device can be powered directly by thecurrent flow in the cord, when it is detected to be on when currentflows to the device connected to the cord. For instance, it is possibleto inductively coupled and believed power from the cord the power theWCC device. Powering on the WCC device can therefore be used to signalto an end node that the object connected to the power cords being turnedon. When current stops flowing, the WCC device can signal to the endnode that the object is off.

This information can therefore be supplied to any device that requiresinformation of activity of specific devices within a room, or specificdevices connected to plugs, or simply to monitor activity in a location.Security activities can also utilize this technique to determine whenobjects in a specific location are being used. By attaching a passiveWCC device to accord, such as a standard off-the-shelf cord, the objectconnected to the power cord becomes a wired device. This provides atremendous flexibility of turning standard off-the-shelf objects intoconnected devices, which can signal their activity to a network, andtherefore can be sent to monitoring devices.

In some embodiments, home automation systems can utilize the system, bysimply attaching or clamping a passive WCC device to the cord at anylocation. In some embodiments, the WCC device may simply look like adoughnut object with a whole that opens and clamps to the court. Inanother embodiment, the WCC device can be formed into a clip thatattaches to a chord. Any number of ways of attaching a WCC device toaccord to detect current flow can be used, and the information collectedcan be shared with any device requiring information of activity of anobject connected to the power cord.

The present family of disclosures contains several examples of wirelessenergy harvesting and wireless transmission of a payload. It should beunderstood that any example of a wireless transmission that is, has orwill be presented herein, may be based on backscatter techniques whichuse a broadcast emission field to remotely energize a WCC, which in turnharvests the RF energy, and produces a response transmission.

U.S. Pat. No. 8,410,910 titled “Passive Contactless Integrated CircuitComprising a Flag for Monitoring an Erase/Programming Voltage” by Nauraet. al, which is fully incorporated by reference herein, providesadditional background and examples of passive integrated circuits thatoperate over inductive and electrical coupling and are capable ofreliably receiving and responding to an emission field, techniques ofwhich may be utilized in connection with parts of the presentdisclosure.

In one embodiment, passive Wi-Fi, is not RFID, but uses Wi-Fi spectrumin a way that does not interfere with existing Wi-Fi devices yet allowsfor passive devices to respond to a broadcast emission field using802.11B channel. Similarly, embodiments of the present disclosure use abroadcast emission field that is harvested by nodes, supplying energyfor decoding a data channel of encoded commands with carrier sense tomanage polling of sensors, amongst other things. The interesting aspectof Passive Wi-Fi, however, is that the emission source for returnpackets is shifted to the center of a Wi-Fi channel, and it isselectively reflected back by nodes to synthesize Wi-Fi datatransmissions, without using any additional power. The paper titled“Passive Wi-Fi: Bringing Low Power to Wi-Fi Transmissions” by BryceKellogg et al, is incorporated in full by reference and provides adetailed description of RF backscatter technique dubbed “Passive Wi-Fi”.

If using Passive Wi-Fi or similar backscatter technique, the state of aWCC can be tracked by repetitively polling the WCC. Depending on thebackscatter frequency, polling individual WCC can be made by encodingcommands to the WCC through modulation of the broadcast emission sourceor, in some cases, by ON/OFF keying the emission source itself.

In some cases, when using passive Wi-Fi or another backscatter approachit is entirely possible to sample a sensor value and report it back toan end node using the energy received from the RF harvest of theemission source alone. For example, a cold WCC light switch may use atraditional legacy light switch that is coupled to an RF harvesting WCC.In the simple sense, when the switch is polled, or when it receives anemission source addressed to itself, it reads the state of the switchand reports the state of the switch to an end node.

In some cases, depending on the configuration of the WCC, there is notenough energy harvested from the RF emission source to the performsensor sampling. But, when using RF backscatter techniques, the WCC isstill able to always stay connected to a data source, without requiringany additional power to sustain the connection, so the internalcomponents, memory and state of the WCC as a processing engine, relay,collaborator, terminal, trust liaison, output device, DLC participant,etc., can be maintained, without batteries, forever, as long as datasource from the emission field remains active. For example, a WCC or DLCthat is persistently connected via Passive Wi-Fi, can be maintained withup to date images, patches, system memory, data contents and the like,and can provide essentially non-stop passive operations to support a DLCinfrastructure.

In certain configurations, a WCC is operated under a sustained PassiveWi-Fi data link but is equipped with additional energy harvestingcapability, of which several types, including mechanical pump and rotaryharvesting, have already been thoroughly covered in this application.The energy harvesting from direct and incidental trigger mechanismsenable for (i) taking input i.e. reading sensors that simply requiremore power than RF energy harvesting techniques alone can supply, (ii)providing output that require more power than RF energy harvestingtechniques alone can supply, or (iii) a system whose input and outputrequirements when combined require more power than RF energy harvestingalone can supply. The combination of an always-on passive Wi-Ficonnection and the energy harvesting I/O capabilities of the presentdisclosure are noteworthy. For example, certain eco-friendly terminalexamples included herein, have e-ink display that only uses transitorypower when changing contents of screen, is powered through a mechanicalharvester, can detect and report who is using it and fetch contents fromany network, has up to date contents ready to display prior toactivation, and is, on all accounts, capable of being configured as acompletely passive computer terminal, suitable for any task.

The combination of Passive Wi-Fi plus the additional power from energyharvesting enables a WCC or DLC, if necessary, to operate completelypassively, without batteries, yet still function to take broad inputincluding photos, voice, video, music, container images, latitude,longitude, within room local GPS, fingerprints, etc., to the cloud andback, make broad output, including displayed images, video, sounds,lights, electromagnetic waves, etc.

In some configurations, a WCC will be equipped with traditional Wi-Fiand the capability to synthesizing an RF baseband source at each WCCnode, and then modulate the synthesized RF signal at each WCC node.However, as previously stated, the present disclosure may also mix andcombine frequencies. For example, a traditional Wi-Fi WCC may be used asan end node to receive data from a Passive Wi-Fi WCC. In one case, thebackscatter operation, previously described, uses a local nodeconfigured to broadcast a signal to enable another node to be discoveredwithin the proximity. Such local node may be a plugged in device and thebroadcast signal may be continuous. The broadcast signal may bemodulated to encode a data link and also provide a source of RF energyfor harvesting to allow the WCC to decode and respond to the any datarequests made in the data channel of the emission source.

In other configurations the continuous RF emission source is KEYEDon/off to encode commands. In some configurations, the RF emissionsource is continuous for periods of time but then is KEYED on/off toenable synchronization, encode security state change information, allowoperation of devices that are unable to demodulate a data linkassociated with the continuous mode of emission source.

In some configurations, a large house or office may use multiple fieldemission zones with a backscatter Wi-Fi configuration, and suchseparated zones may partially overlap, causing potential interference.In this case, a WCC, DLC, management layer or hub may aim to providecarrier sense across multiple zones. Devices that fall near the boundaryline may receive additional duty cycle or be polled with increasedfrequency to accommodate for potentially lost packets, or the imagerunning on a container within a DLC or WCC device may be updated ormodified to address quality of service issues, an antenna may be changedor its state or coupling be modified, a transmit power maybe adjusted upor down, a secondary or alternative frequency band may be negotiated, asecondary Wi-Fi channel may be used with a lag bridge to join the firstchannel, etc.

In one example, an input feature integrated with the housing of the WCCautomatically performs discovery of the local proximate node that isbroadcasting the RF signal using the harvested energy from the RFbroadcast signal. Upon discovery of the broadcast signal, the WCCdecodes the broadcast signal to receive a data transmission. The localnode producing the RF signal may initiate onboarding and provisioningsequences with a newly discovered node. The onboarding and provisioningsequences may share key data and invoke secure methods of onboardingdevices that have been or will be described herein. In one example, theRF signal contains a sustained burst tone to activate power to the WCCalong with transmission that encodes security packets intended to bereceived by all WCCs, including, key exchange data and security relatedfunction calls and responses.

A WCC, IOT or DLC device utilizing certain backscatter transmissiontechniques may perform a transforming frequency shift of the broadcastRF frequency signal generated by a local node, where the local node isconfigured to broadcast the signal to enable a node to be discoveredwithin the proximity. The WCC contains logic for processing the RFbroadcast signal transmitted by the local node. RF energy from the RFbroadcast emission source is harvested to supply power to engage theselective frequency KEY shifting to encode the data transmission replywith payload. In one embodiment, the carrier frequency generated by thesecond device is shifted to the center of a standard wireless channelsuch as Wi-Fi 802.11b to synthesize Wi-Fi packets. In anotherembodiment, the backscatter operation aims to transmit to longer rangeWi-Fi standards operating IOT near 900 MHz. In other examples of thepresent disclosure, backscatter techniques are used for state tracking,resonance analysis, signaling, beam honing and steering, proximitydetection and triangulation.

In the present disclosure, a WCC, hub and management layer may beconfigured to accommodate both Passive Wi-Fi and traditional Wi-Ficapability. In some configurations, the WCC or IOT device would beequipped with a dual radio, comprised of a traditional Wi-Fi module anda Passive Wi-Fi capability. In several configurations, a WCC or hub willbe equipped with dual radio, a first wireless transmitter enabling theWCC or hub to accommodate the coded outbound broadcast transmission“tone” or emission field and to receive 802.11B synthesized packets, anda second radio or wireless transceiver enabling the hub to receive andtransmit Wi-Fi using a broader mix of current standard protocols andfrequencies. In some cases the second radio may be configured as both areceiver for 802.11B and for facilitating other frequencies. In somecases the second radio may be configured to controllably swap a singletuner between 802.11B and other frequencies to accommodate reception ofPassive Wi-Fi as well as reception of packets on other frequencies. Insome cases the second radio may be configured with multiple tunersenabling the second radio to receive the 802.11B response packets fromPassive Wi-Fi transmissions as well as other Wi-Fi packets as supportedon other frequencies.

The WCCs in the present disclosure may include 3D “printable” magneticstructures that offer unique physical properties and behaviors.Polymagnet Inc. or Correlated Magnets Research LLC has developed atechnique to create customized magnetic materials with pixels, otherwisereferred to as MAXELS, that may be disposed anywhere on the substrate tohave either a + or − charge. The MAXLES are disposed on the substratesaccording to a reference CAD design, the reference design is transferredonto the substrate in layers, resulting in a creation of a substratethat offers magnetic properties defined according to the reference CADdesign. Such properties are so unique that interacting with variationsof these magnets feels almost magical.

For more information on structures and/or techniques associated withfabricating and using magnets, reference can be made to U.S. Pat. Nos.7,855,624, and 7,868,721, which are herein incorporated by reference forall purposes. In some embodiments, magnets can be defined to connect WCCdevices, or to connect a WCC device to a surface. In another embodiment,mechanical operation of WCC devices can include magnets that provide forthe generation of power, which is harvested from the movement of themagnets. In some embodiments, the magnets can be engineered to formsprings or latches.

In some embodiments, one or more magnets can be assembled to simulate aspring button, a plunger, a locking mechanism, an attachment mechanism,a release mechanism, or any other type of mechanical function. That is,because the polarity of positive and negative regions can be shaped anddesigned for specific implementations, the shapes enable two or moremagnets and their associated regions to repel or attract each other, soas to replicate or cause or impact motion or pressures or forces.Broadly speaking, the magnets surfaces can be designed for the specificimplementation and integrated with WCC devices and/or IOT devices.Generally speaking, WCC devices are a type of an IOT device.

Several unique demonstration magnetic structures are currently offeredfor sale by Correlated Magnetics Research LLC, under the Polymagnetbrand. Demonstration units are shown having a pair of opposing magnets,round, each having a bore hole that a brass shaft is passed through. Inthe shown demonstration units, plastic caps are placed on the end of thebrass shaft to keep the structure in place. In one embodiment, a WCCstructure may be comprised of a Polymagnet pair where one element of thepair is coupled to an energy pump harvester, such that the mechanicalvibration incidentally invoked in a second magnet upon manipulation ofthe first magnet may result in the creation of electricity for use inprocessing a WCC or DLC system input or output.

A WCC structure may be comprised of a Polymagnet pair where one of themagnets were fixed and includes or is coupled to one or more coils, themanipulation and agitation of the free magnet will energize the coil andresult in the creation of electricity for use in processing a WCC or DLCsystem input or output. In some embodiments, a WCC device may becomprised of a string of magnets (e.g., 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, etc. magnets),which can provide a compressive force or periodic compressive force orpulsing compressive force as the magnets ripple one after another tomove. The magnets may be linked together, e.g. by placing themside-by-side and inserting them into a rod. Faces of the magnets cantherefore be placed adjacent to one another, and their repelling forcescan keep them apart. When one of the magnets is turned, the othermagnets, one by one, can be cost to turn as well. The force provided byeach of the magnets, e.g. during the rippling effect, can be imparted toa power generation device for energy harvesting. Therefore, by designingthe orientation of the polarities in each of the magnets, the rippleeffect can be designed to provide the desired amount of power generationeffect, which is then harvested to power electronics and or RF circuitryof a the WCC device.

A WCC structure may be comprised of a Spring Polymagnet where themagnets attract from a distance but as the two magnets reach a defineddistance, they reach an equilibrium point. If the magnets are pushedpast an equilibrium point, the force changes from attract to repel. AWCC structure may be comprised of a Spring Polymagnet pair where onemagnet is coupled to an energy pump harvester, to capture the mechanicalvibration incidentally invoked in a second magnet by manipulating thefirst magnet.

A WCC structure may be comprised of a Latch Polymagnet which repel froma distance. When the magnets are pushed past a certain point, the forcechanges to attract and they “click” or latch together. A WCC structurewhere one Latch Polymagnet in the pair is coupled to an energy pumpharvester, to capture, for example, a hammer-based piezo vibrationincidentally invoked by second magnet by pushing the first magnet.

A WCC structure may be comprised of a Twist-Release Polymagnet whichcreates a strong holding force when in the aligned position. Whenrotated 90 degrees out of alignment in either direction, they switch toa strong repel force. When the magnets are attracted, they “click” orlatch together. A WCC structure where one Twist-Release Polymagnet inthe pair is coupled to an energy pump harvester, to capture, forexample, a hammer-based piezo vibration incidentally invoked by secondmagnet by twisting the first magnet. Alternatively, one or more coilsmay be used to harvest energy from manipulation of a Twist-ReleasePolymagnet.

A WCC structure may be comprised of a Detent Polymagnet which areengineered to possess a certain number of attract and repelpositions—bumps which provide tactile feedback as the magnets arerotated. A WCC structure using a Detent Polymagnet pair may be coupledto an energy pump harvester, to capture, for example, vibrationincidentally invoked by second magnet by twisting the first magnet.Alternatively, one or more coils may be used to harvest energy frommanipulation of a dent magnet(s).

A WCC structure may be comprised of a gear MAXEL or Polymagnet which areengineered magnets that mimic traditional gears but operate in anon-contact fashion. Such structures can be arranged with other magnetssuch that the gear MAXEL structures are levitated, resulting in aminimum amount of drag and silent operation. A WCC structure using agear MAXEL structure pair or set may be coupled to coil structure toharvest magnetic energy, to capture and harvest energy from incidentalvibration, and as a component of a tangible user interface coupled tothe WCC. Alternatively, one or more coils may be used to harvest energyfrom manipulation of a gear-configured MAXEL based magnetic structure.

The magnetic structure and variations of 3D customizable magneticstructures, presented herein, using MAXELS, are well suited foroperation with WCC devices as both a mechanism for harvesting mechanicalaction, and as a tangible element of the user interface. In someembodiments, the magnets may be modified, including their surrounding orsupporting structures. In some embodiments, the magnets may incorporatecoupling coils to enable energy creation during manipulation, and thatsuch coils may also be configured be able to determine the state of themagnet by sensing a position or orientation of magnet by observation ofthe induced field in the coils. In some embodiments that use magneticenergy harvesting interface structures, the WCC tracks the orientationof the dial or switch using one or more sense coils. In certainembodiments, the magnets used with a WCC structured MAXEL pattern whichmay contain an asymmetry or angular reference that does not interferewith the overall desired action of the custom magnet, but enables easiertracking of the position or orientation of the magnet, using coils orsome other sensor, including Hall effect.

Furthermore, in certain cases, a WCC configured is configured with coilsthat are incorporated into or coupled to the various magnets and be usedto physically manipulate the state of the magnet, using electricity, forexample, to rotate a Twist-Release magnet to a latched or releasedstate, change the angle of a dent magnet, toggle the state of a latchingmagnet(s) from locked to floating, or to jiggle or controllably resonatea spring constructed magnet(s), etc. When operated as both sense anddrive coils, the state of the user interface elements coupled to themagnetic structures are tracked but may also be manipulated, forexample, in a closed loop to provide force feedback, haptic and tactileresponses.

In some embodiments, a WI-FI serial bus configuration may be used topreform communication functions. By way of example, a thicket ofsolutions are demonstrated for novel inter-device connectivity, deviceprovisioning mechanisms to easily on-board and off-board devices, waysto establish secure operation, novel applications, a device managementecosystem that fits to complement and overlap the evolution of servicesand products from the likes of quality providers of tomorrow's IOTinfrastructure, including Google, Apple and Amazon, and more. However,it should be clear that the present disclosure can enable even simpletasks such as maintain a common wake-up and sleep cadence among devices,battery-less devices with buttons that can select options and displayresults from the Internet, enable modes such as continuous discovery inan ultra-low, passive, battery-less manner, provide a framework forapplication developers and consumer devices to enable cooperativeapplications and services across a diverse array of Internet connectedthings.

FIG. 43A illustrates an example of a WCC device that can be powered bymotion and a power pump can be charged or receive power in response toreactive motions of magnets integrated in an object. In this example,the object is a dial, which can be part of a wall plate 4320. The wallplate 4320, can be assembled and integrated into a standard electricalbox that is placed into a wall cavity of a home or business or building.Standard electrical boxes come in various shapes and sizes, and shouldbe suitable for receiving internal electronics and mechanical componentsusable for activating the power pump, which can store generated energyfor powering WCC logic, without a battery.

As shown, the dial 4300 may include a display screen 4308, which can beactivated in response to motion of the dial 4300 by a user, as shown inFIG. 43C. The wall plate 4320 may also include other display screens,which can also be driven in powered by the power pump. In thisembodiment, the magnetic pieces of the dial 4300 may include at leasttwo components as shown in FIG. 43B. The casing of the dial 4300, in oneembodiment, may include a layer or a magnet surface that has beenprinted to have different charge characteristics at different internalradiuses and depths. The arrangement and distribution of the chargesassociated with magnets formed in the dial body, or in another magnetthat is inserted within or connected to the dial body, can be printed orformed to have a specific distribution.

The distribution of the charges, e.g. polarity of positive or negativemagnetic poles, can be designed so that another magnetic material can beinfluenced to turn, move, or repel, or attract. By way of example, andinsert 4302 can similarly be printed to have different magnetic poles atdifferent locations, such that a turn of the dial 4300 will force theinsert 4302 to turn internally consistent with the attractive andrepelling forces associated with the magnetic surfaces. The shaft 4304,can then be cost to move based on the motion created by the magneticdistribution of charges on the insert relative to the dial 4300. Inanother embodiment, the shaft 4304 can include coils (e.g., pick-upcoils) wrapped around the shaft that can harvest inductively generatedpower responsive to the motion. The coils can, in some embodiments, beused to determine what angle the dial has been turned, e.g., based onthe motion of the shaft 4304. The coils, can further be used to provideforce feedback. This power can be harvested by the power pump. Again, itshould be understood that different types of power harvesting mechanismsmay be used and/or combined with other types of power sources, asdescribed throughout this document.

For instance, when the dial 4300 is turned, the magnetic surfaces anddistributed magnetic poles within the surface that are adjacent to theouter surface of the insert 4302, will force the insert 4302 to turn,based on the repelling and attractive forces that are distributed on thesurface of the insert 4302. These magnetic repelling and attractiveforces, can act to force the shaft 4304 to press into and out of thepower pump, which can produce power for the power pump, which can chargethe WCC logic. The power produced can also be used to power the display4308. The display 4308, can produce information that's relevant to theprogram functionality of the WCC device terminal.

Continuing with the example of FIG. 43A, it is shown that oneconfiguration of the dial 4300 can be interfaced so that the screen ordisplay 4308 is powered by the power pump or other power source, and theWCC logic is able to communicate state data or receive information thatcan be displayed on the display 4308. The WCC logic can thereforeprovide data for display on displays 4308 and optionally 4310. In someconfigurations, one or more buttons 4312 can be used to provide inputsettings back to the WCC logic. The input settings can, for example,operations or select different data for display or retrieval by way ofthe WCC device. As shown in FIG. 43C, the users hand can be used to turnthe dial 4300, and turning can include spinning the dial, pressing thedial in and out, and/or other manipulations of the dial. In oneconfiguration, each twist of the dial can cause generation of power,which can then present information for display on the display screen4308.

In some embodiments, as the dial is turned one or more revolutions, orpartial revolutions, or spine, additional data can be displayed, basedon the data that is processed by the WCC logic or data that is obtainedby the WCC logic. In some embodiments, the WCC logic can wirelesslytransmit data to an end node, as described above. In some embodiments,the wireless transmission of data can be facilitated using passive Wi-Fitransmission, which reduces the need for strong power consuming RFtransmitters. Transmission of data can be by way of backscatterreflection, as described throughout the specification. In otherembodiments, the transmission by the WCC logic can be via any number ofradiofrequency standards, including RF transmission circuitry.

In still other embodiments, the WCC logic can additionally communicatewith a wired circuitry in the wall, which can then communicate withother devices, network devices, electrical panels, hubs, routers,switches, a network, the Internet, etc. Broadly speaking, thecommunication of data from the WCC device to another device, and thecommunication of data to the WCC device received from other devices canbe processed by WCC logic. The WCC logic can include, as describedabove, circuitry, digital circuitry, integrated circuits (ICs),application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), memory devices,processors, microprocessors, and other logic processed by hardware orsoftware or combinations thereof.

FIGS. 44A-44C show examples of a control knob, housing, dial, terminaland/or structure that maybe provided for user interfacing. A controlknob, without limitation, may be pushed, pulled, twisted, lifted,lowered, rocked forward, rocked backwards, rocked to the left, rocked tothe right, or rocked along any angle, shifted left, shifted right, orshifted along any radial angle about the centroid of the knob. In oneembodiment, when this interaction is imparted, energy may be harvestedduring such manipulation, energy that may be accumulated to performuseful functions. These functions may include, for example, processingdata for entering input and/or wirelessly transmitting a selection. Insome embodiments, the selection could entail the multiple degrees offreedom of movement of the knob.

The aforementioned control knob may operate in a WCC structure in anenvironment that uses any wireless data connection and logic, with orwithout batteries, where the WCC logic may be wirelessly connected tolocal devices, end nodes, and services of the world wide web with energyharvested through the control knob to fuel power to the device.

The aforementioned control knob may operate in a WCC structure in anenvironment that uses Passive Wi-Fi data connection and logic, with orwithout batteries, where the WCC logic may be wirelessly connected tolocal devices, end nodes, and services of the world wide web, inperpetuity, with no batteries. An example of such energy harvestingcontrol knob in use is shown in FIGS. 44A-C, in the context of a novelWCC harvesting WCC computer “terminal” 4303.

The terminal may be used for a variety of purposes, including checkingemail, text messages, reading sports, stocks, news, checking status ofsystems, etc. The terminal may include WCC logic and wirelesscommunications capable of reaching out to a local end node or directlyto a network remote internet data source. The terminal may portable orbe housed in a fixed location, including in an electrical box 4303 anddisposed in a wall cavity. A miniature version may be embedded to form awearable device, such as a watch, a button, clothing, shoes, luggage,tools, etc. The WCC logic may include a passive Wi-Fi capability toenable the terminal to maintain updated data connection and updated datastore associated with programming in the WCC logic.

For input, the terminal may accept a novel energy harvesting controlknob mechanism as well as additional input of various sensor types,including but not limited to one or more switch, coil, Hall effectdevice, microphone, camera, photodetector, transducer, near fieldcommunication, etc. The input channel may also include those capable ofreceiving an energy transmission of a field including those fields thatpurposely brought in proximity to the terminal, and including thosefields that are brought in proximity to the terminal to provide acombination of user authentication and power transfer, and it should beunderstood that any WCC of the present disclosure may adopt such inputchannel.

For output, the terminal may produce output of various types, includingdisplay of images, sounds, electromagnetic transmissions, electrostatictransmission, NFC interactivity, photo emitter emissions, IR strobing,ultrasonic transducer pulsing, etc. The output channel may also includean electromagnetic transmitter capable of creating an emission field,including a broadcast or one that is purposely brought in proximity toanother WCC, and where the field may modulate or pulsed to encode anauthentication transmission to enable the terminal to authenticate tothe WCC as well as transfer power to the WCC, and it should beunderstood that any WCC contained in this family of applications mayadopt such an output channel.

Still referring to FIGS. 44A-44C, by way of example, show a magneticassembly that may be used in a control knob of WCC terminal 4303. Themagnetic assembly is comprised of two magnetic substrates 4401 and 4403are each formed by a layout of MAXEL design pattern to accommodate thefreedom of movement in the control knob. The magnetic assembly may becoupled together with a shaft 4441, preferably but not necessarily madeof non-magnetic material, such as brass. The structure is laid out toachieve a gap between the two magnets when opposing each other. Theshaft may be patterned to lock magnet 4401 orientation but allow magnet4401 to slide left and right on the shaft to increase or decrease thegap distance. Pushing or pulling on magnet 4403 through the exposed partdial results in the magnet 4401 actuating the power pump of the WCC.However, the application of rotational twist applied to magnet 4403 alsoresults in magnet 4401 moving left and right along the shaft, accordingto the repulsion and attraction layout of the MAXELS on both magnets.

As shown in FIG. 44A, the magnets can be designed with more sections toaffect a gearing. Gearing, as used herein, enables adjustments of therepulsive and attractive forces upon one or more other magnets. Forexample, it is possible to adjust the gearing or ratio of left to rightaction of magnet 4401 to a given rotational movement of magnet 4403.This can be done by creating more sectors of opposing polarity in theMAXEL pattern, as shown in FIG. 44A. The layout of this magnet behaviorand when coupled to the modified shaft, results in a structure thatoffers the action similar to the operation of a crank or cam. Arestoring spring or coil may be used to couple energy into the structureand provide a restoring stability to reset the dial to a rested centerposition.

This structure will be shown and explained in more detail in the contextof a WCC energy harvesting selector dial however the general designoffers the benefit of translating rotational movement to linear movementwithout the coupling of a crank to a wheel or without the wear and tearof a bushings of a cam, or gears.

In one modified configuration of terminal 4303, one or more coils may bedisposed about the structure to capture energy from movement of thestructure in addition to, or in replacement of, the mechanical powerpump harvesting through the incidental trigger force of magnet 4401. Inanother embodiment, such coils are deposited about the gap between themagnets. In another embodiment, the coils are applied to a film andcoupled to the face of the magnets, 4402 and 4404, in oppositionthereto. In another embodiment, the shaft 4441 acts a core having a coilwrapped around it for sensing state of the magnets and capturing energyfrom manipulation of the magnets. In another embodiment, a coil isactuated to manipulate the dial or cause force feedback. In stillanother embodiment, a series of magnets are cascaded along the shaft anddeposed between the magnets are piezoelectric elements for capturing theincidental trigger of the magnets against the piezoelectric elements.

The WCC terminal 4304 may be equipped with a display 4420, preferably abi-stable e-ink or other ultra-low power display, preferable one thatdoes not require power to sustain its state after its state is set. Thedisplay may be disposed in proximity to the user controls, or as shownin the center of an energy harvesting and selection dial, preferably, asshown, coupled to magnet 4404.

The dial may be pushed inward to cause a command to register a selectionand in some configurations to charge the pump with the pulse emissiondefined by the MAXEL pattern configured for the structure. The commandmay be recognized by coils that track the state of the magnets, by aHall effect device or by any sensor capable of sensing the change ofstate of the switch, or by any other known means now or in the future.Such may be based on capacitance, resistance or other change in thesensed field about the dial and magnet 4404, etc.

In some embodiments, magnets 4401 and 4403 are shaped in the form ofdisks. The discs resemble the shape of, for example, a chip used bygambling casinos. The disk shape, as shown, will include a whole to thecenter, to allow it to rotate about the shaft 4401. In oneconfiguration, the magnetic polarity of a circular region of the diskwhere the shaft is to go through will have a polarity that will allow itto repel the shaft 4401. This provides for the rotation of the diskaround the shaft with little or no friction, as the disk may be at leastpartially levitated concentrically around the whole through which theshaft passes. As shown, magnet 4303 can include an inner side 4404 thatfaces the inner side 4402 of magnet 4401.

The magnetic polarities formed on the surfaces 4404 and 4402 cantherefore have any number of patterns to allow for the repelling andattracting forces to cause the discs to move and impart forces forgenerating power for the power pump, which is harvested. In oneembodiment, although two disks are shown connected to the shaft 4401, itis possible to connect a plurality of discs, each having a different orcomplementary polarity in their facing surfaces, so that the twist ofthe first magnet will cause the second magnet to move in a repellingdirection and then the next magnet will then move itself in a repellingdirection and then the next magnet will then move in a repellingdirection, e.g., in a cascading format.

As such, the movement of a single first magnet can cause a tricklecascading effect to one or more discs that can be connected through theshaft 4401. Each of the movements of the internal magnets that areresultant from the cascading movement can impart themselves a force upona harvesting element of the power pump, therefore generating energy. Theenergy can then be used to power the WCC logic and power the display4420 disposed on the dial 4452. The WCC logic can therefore communicatewith an end node, which may be local or remote, and communicate with anetwork for receiving or sending information to a remote node orreceiving information from Internet data sources. As mentioned above,communication with Internet sources can include sending and receivingdata, using application programming interfaces (APIs), and retrieval ofthe data.

The WCC logic can, in some embodiments, be associated with memory orinclude memory for storing data that's retrieved. Data that is retrievedcan then be populated to the screen either in response to the initialtwist, turn, or mechanical motion of the dial 4452 that defines the WCCterminal. As mentioned above, the display can be a bi-stable display,such as an e-ink display that can hold the graphical data withoutrequiring further power. Once the data is populated to the screen thatinformation can remain on the display screen until the next power isharvested and/or input is provided.

FIG. 44D is shown to provide a graphical representation of the types ofinterfaces that can be made to the dial and data that can be receivedfrom the dial display shown in FIG. 44C, in accordance with oneembodiment. As shown, the dial 4452 a may provide information on hisdisplay 4420, which can instruct the user how to use the WCC terminal.In one embodiment, the WCC terminal may be preconfigured to providecertain types of data, as defined by programming. The programming can beset by a user, and can be set remotely on a user device and thencommunicated to the WCC terminal. As such, the functionality of the WCCterminal can be customized based on the types of settings that areproduced or set or defined by the specific user. In some embodiments,the user can provide logic that requires processing by the WCC terminal.In other embodiments, the WCC terminal can be programmed to retrievecertain types of data from other WCC devices, sensors, IOT devices,and/or Internet sources. In this example, the user is instructed to“spin to activate” the WCC terminal. As mentioned above, spinning isonly one type of interface functionality that the user can impart on thedial 4452. Other types of interfaces can include simply turning thedial, twisting the dial, press in the dial, twisting the dial back andforth, pulling on the dial, pressing on the dial, etc.

In this specific example, when the user spins the dial 4452 b toactivate the WCC terminal, the user can be provided with anothermessage, asking the user if he or she wishes to get messages. If theuser does want to get messages, the dial 4452 d having the displayscreen 4420, can populate other types of options. These options can beretrieved from local memory, or can be retrieved from another end nodein the network. This example shows that options for get messages caninclude, call mom, pick up pizza, you have 3 texts, etc. If the userselects one of those options, more data can be retrieved from thenetwork. Data retrieved for the network can be, for example, accessing auser's calendar, accessing a user's text interface, accessing an onlinetelephone, accessing to do list, accessing social data, etc. If the userdoes not want to get messages, the user can spin the dial to get anotheroption, such as “get sports scores” shown in dial 4452 c.

If the user indeed wishes to get sports scores, the user can press thedial 4452 c, turn the dial, double press in the dial, speak voice inputto the dial, or provide some gesture. Motion detector gestures can alsobe detected, in one embodiment, by the dial 4452 c, or can be detectedusing another motion detection device at her close to the terminal. Forexample, data provided to the dial 4452 e can include information that'scollected from a data source over the Internet. Sports scores cantherefore be shown in different portions of the display screen 4420. Theprogramming of options, as shown in FIG. 44D, can be customizable.

The inputs required for selecting specific information can also becustomized. For example, the type of input required to select, torequest, to get additional options, and the like, can be programmed. Inone embodiment, the programming can be made via a user device. The userdevice can include, for example, an application of a smart phone, awebpage, or other interconnected device or interface. In someembodiments, a webpage or an app of a smart phone can be used the selectcustomized data sources to collect data, and present options for thedial 4452, of the WCC terminal. In another embodiment, voice input canbe provided directly to the terminal, to request programming withoutrequiring access to another device. For instance, voice input can beprovided to select the type of data sources or options to present on thescreen of the terminal. The user input required for selecting andproviding input to the WCC terminal can also be customized either at theterminal itself or via another device connected to the Internet ornetwork.

FIG. 44E provides another example of a way to activate and interfacewith a WCC terminal having a display 4420. In this example, the user maybe instructed to activate the WCC terminal by imprinting his or herfinger print upon the reader. The user may, for example, press on thedisplay 4420, which imparts mechanical pressure into the display 4420,which in turn generates and harvests energy for activating a next phaseof the interfacing with the display 4420. In another embodiment, theuser may turn the dial 4452 f, to activate the WCC terminal. In anotherembodiment, the user may turn the outer frame of the dial 4452 f, whilethe screen remains in the same position. The outer frame can be a shell,which mechanically can turn to provide energy or impart mechanical inputto the energy harvesting device. In one example, once the WCC terminalhas been activated, the display can show various options, which may havebeen programmed by the user.

The dial 4452 g, for example, shows a number of options arranged in astack, where the selected item may be the center item. The center itemin this example is “sports,” which can be selected by pressing down onthe display 4420, applying a gesture to the display, providing voiceinput to the display, tapping on the display, double tapping on thedisplay, or other type of input. In one embodiment, if the user wishesto item on the display, the user can turn the dial 4452 h, which causesthe menu to select downward to the next item. In this example, byturning the dial 4452 h to the right, the option for “messages” can beshown to be selected. If the user wishes to select, the user can, asmentioned above, press down on the display 4420, provide some otherinput, provided gesture input, provided double tap, provided triple tap,provide voice input, or any other interfacing signal or action. If theuser selects messages, then the display screen would change to providemessages that would be applicable to the user, based on programming.

As mentioned above, the WCC terminal can provide information that isspecific to a user. The user profile can be accessed, in one embodiment,using the fingerprint reader area on the display. Therefore, biometricscan be used to identify the user, access profile information, and thenuse configuration files that identify the types of data available orrequested to be available by the users programming. As mentioned above,the example display options are simply provided to show the flexibilityof the WCC terminal to gather information, receive input from a user,and send instructions to an end node, which in turn sends or gets datafrom another device, multiple devices, Internet data sources, and/orcommunicate messages and/or information.

FIGS. 45A and 45B will now be described with reference to examplemethods to manage security associated with data being transferred to andfrom WCC devices, in accordance with some embodiments. The examplesprovided in this section regarding security should be viewed asexemplary in nature, as various sections of this document and documentsincorporated by reference have identified other security methodologies.The various methodologies can be combined to define new securityprotocols, or multiple security protocols can be combined depending onthe context of the use associated for the WCC, IOT, DLC, or relatedconnected device.

With this in mind, there is a strong enterprise and home need to providesecurity to protect computer networks, WCC, IOT and DLC againstman-in-the-middle attacks, rogue IOT devices, NAT redirection, bruteforce cracking, denial of service attacks, pseudo services, and Trojanhorse images and the like. However, there is also a need to provideease-of-use and convenience. And while typically security comes at aprice of user inconvenience, an embodiment aims to provide security,convenience and flexibility of a carrier-class framework for a diverseworld of devices.

In one embodiment, key-pairs may be used to encrypt and deciphermessages on a network. In an example security configuration, key-pairsmay be used to communicate encrypted messages within the network but thekey-pairs may be automatically regenerated, updated or refreshed, sothey transform over time. This provides added security benefits. Forexample, if a key-pair is stolen by a rogue IOT device, malicioussoftware or intruder, access to network data or messages sent across thenetwork will not be possible since a new key-pair will be used at thenext refresh cycle. Periodic key-pair changes may take place uponprovisioning new device, onboarding device, for each URL connection, ona fixed, variable, ad-hoc or triggered schedule. Triggered direct orscheduled key-pair changes may take place upon an anomaly beingdetected. Anomalies may be detected in memory or network condition,device operation, signal or event and at a WCC, IOT, DLC level and by asingle or multiple nodes. It may also be detected in whole or part atthe management level or by a trusted liaison device associated with thenetwork.

WCC devices may operate in a highly secure manner to ensure the networkagainst intruders impersonating IOT or WCC devices and real IOT devicesthat are infected with malware by establishing secure onboarding andauthentication processes and confirming the authenticity of the programsoperating on the devices. For example, IOT or WCC devices mayself-prompt or be prompted and interrogated to confirm the legitimacy ofan image associated with the device. A hash-checking algorithm may beused to verify the legitimacy of the image. In some embodiments, a knownalgorithm, the Message-Digest Algorithm, takes an input image designatedfor a WCC, IOT, DLC, container and produces an MD5 hash that uniquelydescribes the fingerprint of the image. The MD5 hash value may then becompared against the published value for the container or image. WCC,IOT and DLC devices and related containerized applications may hashcompute and confirm sequences on a fixed, variable, ad-hoc or triggeredschedule. In some embodiments, triggered direct and scheduling of imageverification takes place upon an anomaly being detected. Anomalies maybe detected in memory or network condition, device operation, signal orevent and at a WCC, IOT, DLC level and by a single or multiple nodes. Itmay also be detected in whole or part at the management level, on a WCChub or in connection with a network service.

The WCC, IOT and DLC may form an enterprise security infrastructureutilizing secure encrypted communication, with capability to identity byuser, device, MAC address, X.509 certificate, etc. However, as put forthin the present application, a trusted authenticated device, devicecluster, DLC cluster, IOT, IOT cluster, service, etc., may act as atrust liaison and trust channel for onboarding and registering a newdevice's unique credentials as well as providing secure access to thenetwork. The trust liaison device may be equipped with a managementlayer allowing the device to manage some or part of the networkassociated with the device.

The present application describes device provisioning and authenticationprotocols that enable a growing range of WCC devices, including thosethat do not have rich user interfaces, to authenticate and communicatewith another device or service on a network.

One provisioning and authentication mechanism is presented herein forsecurely authenticating a user or device to a process, service, website,and to dynamically secure connections between users and WCC devices, WCCdevices to other WCC and non-WCC devices, and WCC devices to the networkand for onboarding and provisioning services. The method is a patentableimprovement to the SQRL password-less login technology that wasoriginally put forth by security researcher Steve Gibson, the backgroundof which (SQRL) is now provided.

SQRL started as a mechanism to allow a user to login to a website usinga cell phone as an authenticator, and it has slightly evolved to allowan application running on a desktop to authenticate a user to a websiteon the same machine. The premise of SQRL operation is based on website'slogin, which the website presents a QR code containing the URL of itsauthentication service, plus a nonce. The user's smartphone signs thelogin URL using a private key derived from its master secret and theURL's domain name. The smartphone sends the matching public key toidentify the user, and the signature to authenticate it. In SQRL, theURL encoded in the QR code includes a uniquely generated long randomnumber or nonce, so that every presentation of the login page displays aunique QR code. Typically, a mobile phone associated with the userseeking to login to the website, runs a SQRL authentication app thatcryptographically hashes the domain name of the site keyed by the user'smaster key to produce a site-specific public key pair.

In one embodiment, the app cryptographically signs the entire URLcontained in the QR code using the site-specific private key. Becausethe URL includes a secure nonce, the signature is unique for that siteand QR code. The mobile phone then securely performs a POST operationover HTTPS to the QR code's URL providing the site-specific public keyand matching signature of the URL. The website receives and acknowledgesthe POST and now has the URL containing the nonce which came back fromthe login page via the user's smartphone. The website also has acryptographic signature of the URL, and the user's site-specific publickey. It uses the public key to verify that the signature is valid forthe URL. This confirms that the user who produced the signature used theprivate key corresponding to the public key. After verifying thesignature, the authenticating site recognizes the now-authenticated userby their site-specific public key. The SQRL technique presents anentirely different ID to every unique URL that a device seeks toconnect. A benefit of SQRL, touted by its author, is that a user wouldnot need to create an account on a website that supports the service. Inother words, if you wanted to comment on a blog site instead of creatingan account on the site, you simply cross reference your SQRL ID (thesite specific public key that is dynamically created for the URL of thesite) to a handle name.

The authors of this disclosure see how the benefits of SQRL cantranslate to quick provisioning and secure access to services by IOT,WCC and DLC devices. There are aspects of security embodiments of thepresent disclosure that certainly rely on the mechanism above, which isto say, given a device with a master key that seeks to access a resourcethat supports SQRL, a secure challenge response process exists toauthenticate to the resource with a unique public key established forthat URL. It is on this basis, that several individual improvements arenow put forth to SQRL, improvements of which may modify a specificaspect of SQRL or multiple aspects of SQRL and which may be takenindividually or combined in any way.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, a SQRL improvement isprovided based on the aspect of a dynamic key that is established for aspecific URL, the improvement being that the URL undergoes areassignment process over time or upon condition, prompting new keypairs to be generated. The conditions may include but not be limited tofactors involving time, session's counts, access to a database, volume,bandwidth, QoS (quality of service), network condition, GPS location,etc. Table 2 gives additional insight into IFTTT rules that may triggerURL reassignment.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, a SQRL improvement isprovided based on the aspect of a dynamic key that is established for aspecific URL, the improvement being that instead of accessing aresource, website etc. directly, a local URL is used as an alias to theactual URL, and a proxy which mimics the SQRL authentication,communicates with the device as if it were the service, and uponauthenticating, the proxy connects to the resource, website, etc. andrelays the information back to the requesting device. In someembodiments the targeted actual URL may not support SQRL protocol butthe proxy handles the authentication with the external resource behalfof the device it serves. DLC management software may be used to snap insuch services for use with WCC devices.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, an authenticationprocess is provided to an improvement of SQRL, based on the aspect of adynamic key that is established for a specific URL, the improvementbeing that the challenge and response utilize different frequencies, soeach is isolated from the other and to avoid interception, such that achallenge may be transmitted using a first channel and the responseresponded to using a second channel. In one embodiment, the challenge istransmitted to a passive device using a broadcast emission source, thedevice harvests the energy from the transmission, and synthesizes aresponse over Wi-Fi 802.11B.

In another embodiment of the present disclosure, an authenticationprocess is provided to an improvement of SQRL, based on the Master IDthat is associated with each device and used to generate the individualkey pairs for a session, the improvement being that the Master IDassociated with each device in a cluster of devices associated in amanaged network may be remotely commanded to delete and recreate theMaster ID, using a WCC or DLC management system.

FIG. 45A shows an example where a wearable WCC device, a button 4406, isseeking to authenticate to a service on the network. The button is notpre-authenticated. It sends a request to WCC hub 4502 to connect to thenetwork. The hub 4502 performs a lookup to determine if the WCC 4406 waspreviously authenticated. If the WCC was not already authenticated tothe hub 4502, the hub 4502 may query other authenticated WCC device todetermine if any devices have a trusted relationship with the WCC 4406.This can be useful to ensure that most efficient onboarding approach isused, especially when operating with low power and in cases completelypassive devices. If any devices have a trusted relationship with thebutton, the device may act as a trust liaison to support theauthentication and onboarding of the WCC 4406 in coordination with thetrusted device.

In certain cases, a challenge involving a random nonce will be generatedand must be responded to via a signed response along with the public keythat was generated for URL by the WCC. In one embodiment the hub 4502will confirm the signature of the response to the challenge and eitherallow or disallow access based on the results. In one embodiment, afterthe WCC is authenticated, the WCC receives a table of URLs associatedwith services that are anticipated to be used or required by the WCC.

In a preferred security embodiment, WCC security is provided by arandomly rearranging the resource URLs, such that the location of theURL for given resource is dynamic, not static, and has an expirationsetting. In one embodiment, the actual URLs of the service areobfuscated from the WCC view, and a local URL is used by the WCC. Inthis construct, the trusted liaison will act as a proxy to manage theforwarding of packets to the actual URL and back to the WCC. This willprovide additional security since the forwarding agent can operate withservices to detect and respond to network anomalies.

A future location of a resource/service may be set in a current sessionand may be set to expire. Expiration may take form in a variety of ways,including one that is set to expire in the current session, one that isset to expire after a given time period, one that is set to expire aftera certain number of reconnections to the service have been made, or onethat gets expired immediately upon some notification. In one embodiment,a WCC stores and references a table that contains the network address itis connected to, the expiration of the URL associated with the service,a next URL to connect to upon expiration of the service and the currentnonce for which the current session was authenticated.

In one embodiment, a hub or trust liaison will the same information aWCC uses to track resources but will also contain the actual resourceURL, as shown in table 2 below:

Resource Local URL Expiration Next URL Nonce Actual URL Thingspeak192.168.2.123 Each Session 192.168.2.171 3475634 https://api.thingspe. .. OracleIOT 192.168.2.124 Every 3rd Session 192.168.2.173 4765736https://api.oracleiot. . . Google 192.168.2.125 1 hour 192.168.2.1753625432 https://api.google. . . TensorFlow 192.168.2.126 On Demand192.168.2.177 3725434 https://api.tensorflo. . . Kinesis 192.168.2.127If lockout 192.168.2.179 4732524 https://api.amazon. . . EMR192.168.2.128 1 year 192.168.2.181 4625489 https://api.amazon. . . Spark192.168.2.129 Powerlevel 3 192.168.2.183 3674523 https://api.spark. . .ioBridge 192.168.2.130 Session 5 192.168.2.185 2347343https://api.iobridge. . . Lambda 192.168.2.131 Every Session192.168.2.187 3846364 https://api.amazon.1. . . WCC3 192.168.2.132 Ifunplugged 192.168.2.189 3635253 https://api.saas. . . IC2 192.168.2.133Authority controlled 192.168.2.191 4846363 https://api.ic2. . . WCC4192.168.2.134 Never 192.168.2.193 3847463 https://api.national. . . S3192.168.2.135 Daily 192.168.2.195 5483646 https://api.amazon. . . MySQL192.168.2.136 Every 10 Megabytes 192.168.2.197 4573647https://api.mysql. . . Redshift 192.168.2.137 Weekly 192.168.2.1994673645 https://api.redshift. . . Marvell 192.168.2.138 if exit home192.168.2.201 4736443 https://api.marvell. . . RDS 192.168.2.139 if exitoffice 192.168.2.203 2332233 https://api.rds. . . Nimbits 192.168.2.140if new MAC 192.168.2.205 2324451 https://api.nimbits. . . SensorCloud192.168.2.141 when new ARP entry 192.168.2.207 2312414https://sensorcloud. . . Windriver 192.168.2.142 if network anomaly192.168.2.209 1231212 https://windriver. . .

In one embodiment, there is a relaxing period to accommodate a WCC thatdoes not transition to the appropriate URL for the service according toexact standard of the table. In this case, the HUB or proxy may stillservice the old URL but aid a transition step to ensure the WCC indexingthe old URL is updated by swapping the replacing the local URL with thenext URL and replacing the next URL according to the scheme of securitypresently configured.

FIG. 45B illustrates a high level process for verifying authenticationof a WCC device or IOT device, to ensure that proper security levels areapplied. In some embodiments, security may be omitted, if data that doesnot require security needs to be transmitted or received. If the dataneeds to be secure, the security process can be executed in a number ofways as described above. In one embodiment, the hub 4502 can be used toexecute security authentication of WCC devices, to enable exchange ofdata. In operation 4520, the hub may receive access from new WCCdevices. For example, if the new device enters an area where network isactively providing access to WCC devices, the hub 4502, can interrogatethe new WCC device to determine if the device has been pre-authenticated4522.

In one embodiment, messages can be exchanged between the hub and the WCCdevice when the device performs discovery of networks in a specificarea. By way of example, the device can identify itself using a uniqueidentifier, or a code that has been assigned to the WCC device forcommunication in the network, if the device had been authenticatedpreviously. If the device has been previously authenticated, access isallowed to the network in operation 4524. If the device is not beenpre-authenticated, authentication operations can be performed inoperation 4526. In the authentication process, if the device isdetermined to not be suitable for communicating within the network or isidentified to be an un-trusted device, the device may not beauthenticated in operation 4530.

In some embodiments, devices that were identified as not trusted, can beadded to a blacklist. In this manner, subsequent attempts toauthenticate to the network can be quickly rejected. In someembodiments, the blacklist can be shared among a plurality of networks,so that devices can be barred from access if they do not meet certainsecurity levels. The levels of security can be associated, for example,based on the data that's being transmitted, based on the manufacturer ofthe device, based on identifiers of origin of the devices, based onknown attacks reported by other users, or any other methods of filteringdevices that may be susceptible to introduce hacks or leaks to thenetwork. If the device is authenticated, the WCC device can be providedwith access to the network in operation 4528.

By way of example, the device can be added to a list of authorizeddevices for a specific network. In some embodiments, the user attemptingto authorize a WCC device can provide input for authentication viaanother device. For example, the user can authenticate a WCC device byusing a smart phone or the website. In some embodiments, users can beassigned codes that enable access to specific network if the device hasbeen verified over a different channel. Access codes can then betransferred to the WCC device, and stored in memory of the WCC device sothat attempts to access a specific network can interrogate and obtainthe access code, which can be used to authenticate the WCC device foruse in the network. In some embodiments, WCC devices can bepre-authenticated for specific types of tasks. The types of task canvary depending on the security level assigned. For example, if messagingtasks are to be used by specific WCC device, the messages can beassigned a specific level that might not be the highest level. If theWCC device is transmitting sensitive data, such as security information,personal information, identity information, or any other type ofinformation that is valuable, the level assigned to the WCC device andassociated access code can be much higher. In some embodiments, theaccess code can identify the level of security that will be applied tothe communications by the WCC devices.

The encryption level can be more stringent the higher the level, thelevels of encryption can be varied, access codes can be switchperiodically, challenge and response protocols can be strengthened,biometric data can be required, and/or other security strengtheningprotocols, methods and/or procedures. In some embodiments, various typesof cryptography can be used for the WCC devices and or IOT devices. Thecryptography levels can be modified and adjusted to reduce thecomplexity or weight of the cryptography, while still providing highlevels of security.

In some embodiments, WCC devices and IOT devices can use protocols, suchas those commercially available by Amazon Web Services (AWS). Oneexample AWS service is referred to as elliptic curve cryptography (ECC)for IOT devices connecting using TLS. ECC is a methodology that uses apublic key cryptography that resembles but differs from a well-known RSAmethodology. ECC enables devices to use high-security, while usingsmaller keys than RSA, while still maintaining a high level ofcryptographic strength. Reference to AWS is only by way of example, asmany types of security systems, algorithms, and methodologies may beused to ensure secure transactions between WCC and IOT devices inspecific networks, based on the data being transferred, based on thecontextual transfer of data, based on the users of the data, based onidentified users interfacing with devices, based on biometric data,and/or combinations thereof.

Over the past five years, several companies have tried but failed toroll out home automation systems that at least turn lights on and offaccording to remote control and ITTT programs, still to this day, somuch of that market is fragmented and most of the homes today, in theUnited States, use traditional legacy wall switches, manual switches,limited automation, if any. So, we turn to disclosure relating now apromising advance in green energy and home automation, and inparticular, to several WCC devices. We will organize a portion of thedisclosure showing an array of novel WCC device constructs, novelsub-constructs of those devices, and a novel interoperability model thatshould make adoption in existing homes and businesses turnkey.

FIG. 46-48 show examples of WCC devices that can have multiplefunctions, ones that integrate with existing building AC outlets andswitches, ones that can be disposed in locations to track positions ofdevices, e.g., to provide a type of internal GPS, in accordance withsome embodiments. Such WCC devices may be at fixed anchor positions suchas embedded into electrical boxes or be anchors as part of other WCCdevices that are typically in a fixed position, such as appliances. Insome cases, one or more portable movable WCCs may be establish as atracking base, where all devices participate in tracking relativeposition to each other in a tracking cloud.

A WCC light switch may have an AC tap for inductively harvesting powerfrom (preferably) an insulated live wire. Constructs of example devicesthat may be integrated into an existing electrical box allow foroperation of the electrical box, in addition to its normal function of aswitch or power outlet, to also provide one or more of (i) a WIFI switchstate tracker, (ii) WIFI switch state setter, (iii) a WIFI repeater,(iv) a WIFI tone/field emission emitter for Passive WIFI or otherbackscatter operation, (v) an anchor node for supporting object trackingof position and orientation inside of a building. The constructs abovemay communicate with other WCC devices. In one example, the light switchcommunicates in a manner to facilitate internal GPS tracking of anotherWCC. In one case, the WCC is a wearable device that is capable ofproducing feedback in connection with its location in a room. In onecase the WCC is capable of interoperating with other WCC, DLC and IOTdevices. And still in another case, where other devices respond to thewearable to produce, respective output, guidance, feedback, directions,warnings, incentives or to trigger functions, and the like.

FIG. 46 shows one example embodiment of a WCC light switch 4600 whichmay fit inside an existing electrical box light switch outlet. The lightswitch 4600 uses a WCC with relay that harvests energy from AC tap thatis wired as a two-way switch with a traditional legacy switch. Thisswitch construct (i) allows manual control of the light or outlet usingthe traditional switch as a first leg in the two-way switch circuit (ii)allows remote control of the light or control outlet as WCC relay iswired as the second leg in a two-way switch (iii) allows remote trackingof switch state using coils or other sensor read by the WCC.

Light switch WCC 4600 may tap energy from the live wire feeding an ACtraditional wall switch 4601 and may also tap to sense the output L1 andL2 of the switch 4601 to determine its state. Switch 4601 may be alegacy style common rocker or common flip switch 4601. The tap 4603 mayhave a coil for coupling AC into the WCC power supply and drawn by WCCwireless logic and switching relay, which is controlled by the WCClogic. The state of the manual switch and the state of the relay definethe path from the live wire through the WCC switch to the light oroutlet.

In one embodiment the wireless capability of a switch WCC may be PassiveWIFI. In another embodiment the wireless capability of WCC istraditional WIFI. In yet another embodiment the wireless capability inthe WCC supports both traditional WIFI plus the “always plugged in”component to the Passive WIFI framework, the field emission source forbackscatter synthesis of WIFI packets. In one particular example of aWCC having hybrid WIFI also providing the tone for the passive emissionsource, the WCC device is capable of coordinating messages with otherPassive WIFI tone generators from the “always plugged in” devices toensure that carrier sense is maintained across a wide area, and toensure good coverage for expansive operation throughout a facility.

Other WCC device will interoperate with the light switch in novel ways,including electrical outlets. Outlets may be assimilated as a lightswitch, without the manual switch capability. And like WCC light switch,WCC outlets also interoperate with WCC light switches to produce anchorpoints in which data are generated to yield an IPS, an indoorpositioning system.

Indoor positioning systems, IPS, locates objects or people inside abuilding using radio waves, magnetic fields, acoustic signal or othersensory information. In the present disclosure, such information may becollected by a WCC or mobile device or transmitted by the WCC or mobiledevice in either case results in the reliable detection of position,indoors.

In one embodiment, a WCC light switch is further configured to measuresthe intensity of the received RF signal strength or RSS of a device itis tracking. In one embodiment, the angle of arrival is used tocalculate position of the tracked device. In one embodiment, the angleof arrival is computed using an antenna array in another, the timedifference of arrival TDOA the RF signal is received on each antenna isused. In one embodiment the angle of arrival is used with triangulationto determine the location of the tracked object. In one embodiment thereceived signal strength indication (RSSI), a measurement of the powerlevel received by RF sensor is used to calculate position, based on thenotion that radio wave propagation occurs according to theinverse-square law, distance can be approximated based on therelationship between transmitted and received signal strength (thetransmission strength is a constant based on the equipment being used),as long as no other errors contribute to faulty results. In oneembodiment, beam steering methods are used.

To reduce the impact of reflection and absorption from walls, doors,furniture, and signal fluctuation, in one embodiment, room profiling isused to provide a baseline reference for signal normalization for theenvironment, and in another embodiment, the method of tracking ismodified upon detection of a signal anomaly. In one embodiment, a WCCrecords telemetry data about the path and approach it takes at themoment leading up to landing in a location of known reference so that itcan report any anomaly around the landing pad for the benefit of otherdevices that move into proximity of the landing pad afterwards, so acorrection can be made to filter the anomaly. This provides a mechanism,for example, to provide higher fidelity of tracking movements aboutBluetooth zones.

The signal tracking for inside GPS may be processed by the HUB, end nodeor another WCC. Data collection from RF sources may be at a node, switchor outlet. Triangulation and trilateration may take place, using localor one more WCCs, another device or service on a LAN or WAN.

As shown in FIG. 46, the WCC may be equipped with optional antenna arrayto facilitate known frameworks and methods of object tracking thatoperate using multiple antennas. When another device or service requestthe location of a device, the GPS data will be obtained that define theworld coordinates, and GPS data will be obtained that define the insideGPS data. A management layer or service, such as Google Maps, maycombine the data to provide location information that includes externaland internal fidelity. It is desirable when performing GPS to have fixedanchor nodes that capture data for calculations of position, and incases, orientation.

FIG. 47 shows how light switch, electrical outlet and another WCC (watercooler) may provide a surrounding formation of reference anchors forposition determination. The benefit of incorporating internal positiontracking system into light switch housing, besides having a power supplyavailable at the location, is that such locations are prevalent throughresidential and commercial structures, and because the locations arefixed. Therefore, such locations provide excellent anchors for nodetracking infrastructure.

In one embodiment, the distance between two WCC devices is tracked andwhen with a threshold proximity, a first WCC device engages in awireless transmission to wirelessly transmit power the second WCCdevice. In one embodiment, the distance between a WCC light switch andanother WCC device is tracked and upon reaching a threshold distance ofabout two feet (or range of between about 1-5 feet) from the WCC lightswitch resonates to produce a field that is harvested and coupledthrough a bridge circuit to trigger operation or supply power to WCCdevice storage. In another embodiment, WCC appliances have fieldemitters near user interface elements that trigger when user entersproximity to the device.

In another embodiment, power is supplied to a wearable device throughthe human body, such as hand coupled to a watch where the back face ofthe watch contains a contact with the skin and coil or other pickup forharvesting power passing through the skin to ground. In these examples,typical things that are coupled to the body, WCC watch, WCC necklace maycouple energy from other devices that are configured to emit powersupply in addition to function as their primary purpose.

For example, a steering wheel, refrigerator door, oven door, microwavedoor, light switch, cell phone, may be configured to couple energythrough the hand into the wearable WCC device for powering the devicethrough coupling of the human interaction that naturally occurs throughthe normal functioning of interacting with the power providing device.For example, a WCC watch may receive a power injection when the personwearing the watch reaches to open the refrigerator door. Such powersupply coupling through human body from everyday devices to WCC devices,is beneficial because the human interactivity with the devices occurs atgood frequency, so much so, the interaction acts as injection points foradding power to maintain operation of WCC energy harvesting wearable.

AC outlets, similar to light switches, also provide some of the samebenefits as above. We have already discussed in detail examples of WCCAC outlet and AC power cord capable of determining the state of thedevice coupled thereto. We reaffirm the features and structures of whathas already been described on both of the above may be combined, and putinto the form factor of an AC outlet that may comingle with WCC lightswitches and other WCC AC outlets to create additional anchor points forinternal position tracking of objects. By way example, a WCC outlet mayhave an AC tap for inductively harvesting power from (preferably) aninsulated live wire. Constructs of example devices that may beintegrated into an existing electrical box allow for operation of theelectrical box, in addition to its normal function as a power outlet, toalso provide one or more of (i) a WIFI switch state tracker, (ii) WIFIswitch state setter, (iii) a WIFI repeater, (iv) a WIFI tone/fieldemission emitter for Passive WIFI or other backscatter operation, (v) ananchor node for supporting object tracking of position and orientationinside of a building.

FIG. 48A shows an example of such AC outlet. As shown, a live AC 4804line is tapped (preferably) though an insulated wire to supply power forthe WCC wireless logic. The logic provides support for signal processingand may provide additional support for all of the features alreadydescribed in the AC outlet and AC power cord embodiments, and forclarity sake, such features, examples and alternatives methods forpowering the device, status of the connected device, measuring currentflow, etc. may be applied to the WCC configuration of FIG. 48 and alsoto similar alternative embodiments covered hereunder. Thus, for clarifysake, such details will not be repeated as it has already been taught inthis application but hereafter applied to this AC outlet as a new formfactor.

FIG. 48B shows a WCC watch construct in application showing the positionguidance and honing to locate other devices and people, and proximitybased authentication. In one embodiment, a WCC watch is configured withan e-ink display and uses Passive WIFI to sustain a data link to a hub,end node or network. The watch may be used to send text messages,receive email, make request to services, track status, etc. —mosteverything that you could do with an existing smart watch you could dowith a WCC watch, except that a WCC watch is configured for wirelesscommunication and provides for power harvesting and other features andfunctions described throughout this application.

FIGS. 49A-49B provide an example of another WCC watch embodiment, whereenergy harvesting control knob that may be fit with the watch to enableharvesting of energy from navigation of the knob. In one embodiment,turning the dial on the control knob activates a screen with predefinedoptions. A user may provide a selection, creating energy harvest throughthe selection and send the selection to an end node. The knob may beturned to result in energy harvesting to supply power to functions suchas taking x seconds of microphone input, encoding and transmitting thespeech payload to an end node (such as to family members to managetasks, Google APIs and others including those that use natural languageparsing and responses, AI bots, etc.).

The knob may be turned, spun, taped, pressed, pulled, etc., to causeenergy harvesting to supply power to functions, such as receiving outputpayload and playing the output through a built in speaker. Details ofsuch a tangible human interface knob was already discussed at length,including its uses a selector in various user interface example, so thatis not repeated here other to say those features, alternatives,structures may apply to a watch form factor of FIG. 49B, or other formfactors that can be worn. In some embodiments, a WCC device havingsimilar functionality as WCC watch may simply be referred to as a WCCwearable or simply wearable device or IOT. These devices can be worn onany part of the human body or carried by a user. In some cases, devicecan be implanted in the human body. In other cases, devices can beintegrated into clothing. The clothing may be, for example, pants,shirts, jackets, socks, shoes, scarfs, belts, clips, T-shirts, etc. Inexamples such as these, a WCC device can interact with such types ofclothing items in various ways, whether connected by wires or wireless.In some configurations, the clothing may have conductive fabric that issown in patterns to enable user interaction with the fabric, e.g., tocommunicate input, selection, sense data or generally provide aninterface.

Continuing with the Examples of FIGS. 49A-49B, the WCC watch may beconfigured to operate completely battery-less without supplemental powersource. However, as like many WCC devices, it may also operate with oneor more power supplies. A battery may be used. Or, in one embodiment aself-winding-style energy harvester is used where the WCC watch harvestsenergy using a magnetic structure instead of the traditional weight usedin such self-winding structures, and instead of the weight oscillatingto put tension on the main spring, the magnet oscillates about coils, inwhich result in energy which is coupled through a bridge circuit to astorage to generate accumulating microvolts injections to the powerstorage during normal movement of the watch.

FIG. 50 shows that multiple processes may be enabled by an energyharvest. In one configuration, options filtered out the selectioncriteria unless a threshold of energy is already available. In someinstances, as shown in FIG. 50, it may be required to perform actions instages, where it is necessary to harvest between components of a userengagement, such steps may be split between taking and receiving anaction and transmitting the action, and in cases additional harvest maybe necessary to receive a response and populate data to the screen.

In one configuration the watch band is configured to act as a capacitivepower storage. In another configuration the watch band is configured toact as a coil. In a third configuration the watch band forms both acapacitive storage and a coupling coil.

In some embodiments, it is desirable for the WCC watch to operate monthsto years on a single battery. The battery, if configured, may berechargeable through coupling or direct contact with power supply. Thebattery, if configured, may also use one or more energy harvestingcapabilities described herein, to maintain battery charge. By way ofexample, if the battery is rechargeable, the battery may be replenishedwith charge from time to time when the watch comes in proximity tocharging sources. The charging sources, by way of example, may includewireless charging using any one of the technologies described throughoutthis application and materials incorporated by reference.

In yet another embodiment, the watch may operate in connection withexternal GPS or internal positioning systems, including those of thepresent disclosure which may be integrated into other WCC devices,including appliances, outlets and switches.

In some configurations, location-based services may performdead-reckoning of a path of a user and prediction along with theknowledge of one or more tasks that the user is seeking to complete,where other devices may coordinate timing sequences previously describedto ensure efficient use of time, for example, using one or more ofrecipes, event synchronization or DLC coordination.

If a WCC device is not configured with GPS, the WCC device may use aproxy device within proximity to the WCC and having known GPScoordinates to send, either on behalf of the WCC device without GPScapability, or to the WCC device, hub or end node, the GPS coordinatesof the WCC device so that they may be integrated into servicesassociated with the WCC or other device. GPS coordinates may beaccompanied by an internal position coordinates or an offset, so networkservices can augment interactivity with location based services insideand outside of buildings. WCC devices can therefore be associated withtracked devices and piggyback location services from additional GPScapability.

FIG. 51A illustrates an example store environment 5102, where a user isapproaching a shelf in the store 5102 to select an item, in accordancewith one embodiment. In the illustrated embodiment, the user is shownreaching for item A, which is placed on one of the shelves 5104. In oneembodiment, multiple sensors are distributed throughout the store 5102,so as to track the interaction of the user with any of the itemsdisplayed in the various shelves 5104. In one embodiment, the varioussensors may include cameras, weight sensors, infrared sensors,ultrasonic sensors, proximity detection sensors, audio sensors, andothers described throughout this application. In one embodiment, thevarious sensors are configured to produce sensor data that can beanalyzed and combined in order to determine the correct interaction by aspecific user. Also shown is that the user has a smart phone 5108, whichmay be in the back pocket of the user.

As mentioned above, some embodiments may include having the user signinto the users online shopping application, which will activate asession for shopping in the real store 5102. In one embodiment, byhaving the shopping application active while the user shops in the realstore, items that are selected by the user can be automatically added tothe users shopping cart, which may be managed by the operator of thestore 5102, or by a third party web application operator that provideservices to different stores. Broadly speaking, the various sensorsintegrated throughout the store, can be used to track the user'spresence in various locations within the store, as the user shops. Insome embodiments, the users body outline or skeletal features can betracked, in order to determine when the user is interacting withspecific items, which may be of store shelves or in specialcompartments, surfaces, displays, regions, locations, throughout thestore.

In some embodiments, the sensors may include proximity sensors, whichcan be used to track whether specific items are being moved withinspecific locations on the shelves 1504. Proximity sensors can producedata that can be combined with other sensors, such as weight sensors. Byway of example, if the user reaches in and removes one item from theshelf in a specific location, the weight sensor can produce a change inweight data for that specific shelf region, which will be indicative ofthe item being removed. If the item is then returned, such as if theuser changes his or her mind, the weight sensor can also calculate thatthe weight, confirming the placement back onto the shelf. In otherembodiments, information received from the various sensors can beprocessed in order to provide priorities to specific sensors. Thepriorities can be provided in the form of weighting algorithms thatprovide more significance to certain interactions than others. In stillother embodiments, the priorities can be dynamically weighted based onthe type of interaction, who the user is, the time of day, the frequencyof such interaction with specific items, and other metrics.

As described below, processing of sensor data can also take place inorder to generate features for that interaction data, which can be fedinto a machine learning algorithms. Machine learning algorithm canutilize models that can be refined based on the feature inputs in realtime, or based on previous feature inputs associated with iteminteractions by other people or the same person. In some embodiments,historical interaction data can also be accessed for specific items,specific items in certain stores or regions, and/or interactionsassociated with the specific user. In some embodiments, if the usersidentified when entering the store or when present in the store, theuser's interactions when in the store can be tracked and associated tothe profile of the user. In some embodiments, if the user is utilizing asmartphone application for a smart watch application, the users profilecan be identified. Thus, the users interactivity with items on theshelves of the store can be tracked, so as to provide the user with moreintelligent feedback or assistance when shopping. In some embodiments,information collected regarding the user interactions went in thephysical store 5102, can be utilized to provide recommendations to theuser. The recommendations can be provided to the user's account, whichcan then be delivered to the user via an application, notifications,alerts, audio, graphics, or other means of communication.

The information provided to the user can be utilized by the user inorder to make decisions of future shopping activities, such as creationof shopping lists. In other embodiments, such information can beutilized to add to a user's shopping list, which can be accessed forpurchasing items online instead of in the store. Thus, informationgathered regarding the user's preferences, interactivity, handling ofproducts in the store, reading of product labels from store shelves,walking patterns within a store, handling of items, and so on, can beutilized for generating recommendations to the user in a customizedmanner. This information can also be used to provide information in realtime back to the user, such as by placing digital screens throughout thestore, such as on store shelves. The digital screens can providereal-time information back to the user, for specific products that theuser is looking at, interacting with, moving, or browsing. In someembodiments, the real-time information can be customized for the user.

By way of example, if the user has specific diet requirements, thatrequirement information can be used to provide recommendations topurchase or not purchase specific items in the store. For instance, ifthe user is holding a box of cereal that is not gluten-free, the usercan be provided with real-time information by way of audio emanatingfrom the shelves or display data provided on a display local to theshelf indicating that the cereal is not gluten-free. Other informationcan be provided to the user, such as recommending another item that isgluten-free.

Continuing with FIG. 51A, it is shown that display screens 5106 can alsobe provided proximate to specific shelves in the store. These displayscreens can be customized based on the audience or persons within thestore. By way of example, if five specific customers have beenidentified to be in the store shopping, the profiles of the five peoplecan be identified. Based on similarities of preferences, historicalpurchases, items in the users online shopping lists, to do lists,calendars, and other digital information that is accessible for thespecific users, the information displayed on the display screens 5106can be customized.

For instance, if the shopping day is a Saturday morning, three out ofthe five people may be shopping for breakfast related foods. Knowingthis information, the display screens 5106 can be customized withinformation regarding discounts, deals, promotions, and other helpfulinformation. By way of example, the display screen can show largepictures of tomatoes, eggs, and bacon, and identify their location inthe store and/or provide information regarding their promotions orprices. This information is helpful information being provided to theuser, which will optimize the user shopping experience. In someembodiments, was the user has purchased certain items from the store,the user can be provided with a digital receipt indicating the itemspurchased. In some embodiments, the user can be provided with the optionof the leading historical information from the shopping list. Forinstance, if the user was sent by a friend to pick up certain items fromthe store, and those items are not items that are typically purchased bythe user, the user may wish to delete those from his or her historicalinformation. This will assist processing by local computers or servers,in order to identify and better recommend information for the user. Morespecifically, information regarding purchases made for users other thanthe person purchasing, can be removed from the user's history.

Removing the information from the user's history and providing thisfunctionality to the user, will avoid providing false positives orassociations of historical actions to the user. This feature can beprovided as an option directly in the application used by the user. Thiswill allow the user to purge any information that is not relevant to theuser, or for purchases that are not desire to be associated to theuser's history. By providing more accurate information regardinghistorical purchases for the user, the recommendation information, andassistance provided by machine learning and other algorithms will bemore optimized and accurate.

FIG. 51B illustrates an example of a user reaching in with his hand tograb an item off the shelf. In this example, a volume is defined for theitem, when placed on the shelf. Additionally, the plurality of sensorscan be provided proximate to the item in order to track interaction dataassociated with a user reaching in for the item. As shown, varioussensors can be placed in and around the shelf 5104. The various sensorsshown are simply by way of example, and it should be understood thatmore or less sensors can be associated with specific locations in thestore and/or on specific shelves 5104. For instance, the shape of theitem on the shelf can dictate the type of sensors used. Some sensorswill be better suited for specific types of items while other sensorscan be optimized for different shapes, sizes, materials, surfacereflectivity, packaging styles, etc.

For purposes of illustration, the item being interfaced with may beplaced on the shelf that can include weight sensors 5112, these weightsensors can be distributed at different locations within the shelf 5104.In some embodiments, the weight sensors can be integrated directly ontothe surfaces of the shelf. In other embodiments, the weight sensors canbe connected to pivot points on the shelf, so as to determine specificweight distributions, weight removals, weight editions, handling,movements, etc. In some embodiments, algorithms are processed to detectwhen passive interaction is occurring with a shelf 5104. The passiveinteraction may occur when users simply touch a shelf, move the shelf,or store employees are stacking shelves.

By utilizing multiple sensors, it is possible to provide priority tocertain sensors depending on the type of interaction, and or based onthe tracking of users that may be approaching specific shelves. If auser is stacking the shelf, such as a store employee, a certain type ofrhythm or repeating motion may be occurring when the items are beingstacked. This can be differentiated from simply holding an item, pickingan item, or placing an item back onto the shelf. Learning algorithms canbe utilized to differentiate between passive interactions with shelves,versus active interactions that include the actual picking of an itemfrom a specific area of the incensed 5124, or a specific volume beingsentenced 5122. Further shown are sensors 5114, which may includeproximity sensors that detect when an object is reaching into the shelf.When the user's hand breaks the plane of the shelf, certain sensors maybe triggered to then detect further whether the item is being moved, orremoved. If the user's hand breaks the plane, but there is no movementof the item, the user may be simply touching the item.

In some embodiments, the user may shift the item, in order to read thelabel. In some embodiments, user tracking in the store 5118 can occur,so as to track the user's motions within the store, and motions thatshow reaching into the shelf. This type of tracking can be useful todifferentiate between two users that may be standing next to each other,and one specific user is the one reaching into the shelf. In someembodiments, situations may occur where two different people may beshopping in the store, but only one person has scanned in theirelectronic device. In such a circumstance, it may be possible to detectwhen certain codes of the product have been placed proximate to the userdevice of the active shopper.

For instance, the active shopper may be a dad, who may have brought hiskids into the store. His kids may have reached for certain items, whichwere then placed into the shopping cart in the physical store. In thisexample, the items are now placed in the shopping cart, and are detectedto be proximate to the dad's electronic device. A parent can beprocessed at that time, to add the product to the electronic shoppingcart of the dad. In some embodiments, it is also possible that twodifferent users have entered the store, and both users have scannedtheir devices or applications. While in the store, it is agreed that oneof the users will pay for certain items, but those items have been addedto the electronic shopping cart of the user that is not paying. In oneembodiment, the user that is not paying, can transfer the item to theother user using a transfer feature of the application. In anotherembodiment, the user can swipe to remove the item from his or hershopping list, and directed toward the user that his paying. Thus, someembodiments enable interfacing with the electronic shopping carts whilein the store, in order to distribute the items that have been pickedfrom the shelves to the correct user.

For purposes of completeness, FIG. 51B illustrates various sensors. Byway of example and without limitation to others, a camera 5116 isprovided to capture image data and the camera(s) 5116 may be placed invarious locations. Infrared sensors 5128 may also be integrated in andaround the shelf in order to detect changes within the volume or areabeing tracked. Ultrasonic sensor 5120 may also be integrated in variouslocations in and around the shelf 5104. Motion sensors 5126 may also beplaced at various locations, to detect motion of either the user's handor hands interfacing with items or the items themselves moving on theshelf. Weight sensors 5112 can also be placed in various locations, soas to detect motion and movement of specific items on the shelf 5104,and differentiate between which items are being picked or interactedwith when on the shelf or when placed back on the shelf.

FIG. 52 illustrates an example of a shelf 5104, with a stack of items,which in this case is a stack of boxes of cookies. This shelf can becustomized with different sensor configurations, such as to identifyitem proximity zone 5210. The item proximity zone can determine when auser's hand is reaching into the item proximity zone 5210, or when theuser is detected to be approaching the shelf 5104 using proximitytracking 5212. Proximity tracking can be facilitated by variouscombinations of sensors, including camera 5214, and other cameraslocated throughout the space of the store. In some embodiments, the usercan be tracked by tracking the signal of the smart phone or smart watchor some other smart device being held, worn, or carried by the user. Inthis example, the shelf 5104 can also be integrated with ultrasonicsensors 5201, which can detect proximity of the user relative to theshelf. Additionally shown is a speaker 5206, which may be integratedproximate or on the shelf 5104.

The speaker 5206 can be configured with audio steering, which canproduce audio signals that are directed toward the face of the user, inthis case user Bob. This is specifically beneficial when multiple usersare standing around shelves of the store. This provides for targetedinformation to be delivered to the specific user, based on the identityand profile of the user. As mentioned above, the user can be identifiedby his presence in the store, or by the user scanning a code from anapplication, or simply by registering the user's smartphone beforevisiting the store either online or at a kiosk. The user account of theuser will provide access to the user's profile, and this information canbe utilized to provide efficient information that is customized to theuser.

This customized information can be in the form of digitally displayedinformation, such as on a user aware display 5202. Additionally, thespeaker 5206 can also provide audio data to the user relative to thesame information being provided on the display or different informationcan be provided on the display and by way of audio. The user awaredisplay 5202 can also provide information regarding price, dietaryinformation, discounts, coupons, promotions, shopping list information,information relative to the users calendar (i.e. the need for partysupplies for a scheduled party), and/or directions information for thestore. The directions for the store can include directions internalwithin the store, so as to allow the user to quickly find certain itemson the users electronic shopping list. Also shown are proximity sensors5204, which can be utilized to detect when the user is approaching theshelf 5104 and the specific items, in this case cookies. Item proximityzone 5210 and therefore be defined as a plain, that detects wheninteraction is about to occur, or can also be defined as a volume space,or an area. In this manner, interactions between the proximity trackingof the user and the proximity zone of the items can be analyzed, todetermine when interaction data is occurring or will occur.

FIG. 53 illustrates an example where multiple people may be shopping ina particular area, and differentiation between the two differentshoppers may be necessary to avoid conflicting selection transactions,in accordance with one embodiment. As shown, Jack and Jill are bothaccessing shelf 5104. In this example, Jack is reaching for item J,while Jill is pointing at item J. Although there are various products onthe shelves, a method is provided to differentiate when specific usersare reaching in interacting with specific items. In addition to thevarious sensors described above, a plurality of side mounted or ceilingmounted proximity cameras 5302 can also be provided. In thisconfiguration, cameras 5302 can be directed for the space where userswill be interacting with the items on the shelves. Thus, these camerascan detect when specific users are reaching into the shelving units. Inone embodiment, depth sensors can also be provided, to identify withspecific users passed into areas identified for specific products fouritems.

As mentioned above, the different regions where items are placed, can bemonitored for volume analysis for area analysis. If the user reaches inand touches night out, motion detectors can detect that interaction. Ifthe user reaches in and lifts an item, the weight sensor can detect thatinteraction. If the user reaches into the shelving unit, the cameralooking at the outline of the user's body, can see an extensionemanating from the body or torso of the user. This extension isinterpreted to be the users are and or hand extending from the torso ofthe body. Thus, when Jill is standing next to Jack, one or more camerascan identify that Jack is the one who is extending his arm into theshelf 5104, and reaching for item J, and not Jill, who was simplypointing toward the item. In further embodiments, user identities canalso be tracked, while users are in the store, and interacting withitems on shelves. User tracking can be used to differentiate between theidentities of the users. In some embodiments, user identity may betemporary, and not directly link to the actual person.

By way of example, a temporary identity can assign specific features ofthe user, which can be tracked while the user interacts with items inthe store. One feature can be the height of the user, the approximateshape of the user, the color of clothing worn by the user, the colorhair, or any other identifying object used by the user or worn by theuser. In some embodiments, wearable devices can be tracked, such as WCCdevices, which are worn or integrated into clothing items or objects ofthe user. In still other embodiments, the users smart phone or smartwatch can be tracked. In other embodiments, the user's facial featurescan be tracked, such as to identify the mood of the user. In furtherembodiments, users voice can be tracked, to differentiate between oneuser and another. As mentioned herein, the tracking of user identifyingfeatures or attributes can be temporary and not stored by the system.However, these features can be used simply for identifying when aspecific user interacts with a specific item, so as to identify the itemas selected by the user and then charged to the user's account.

FIG. 54 illustrates an example of an overhead view of FIG. 53, inaccordance with one embodiment. As shown, Jack is reaching in andinteracting with product J. Jill, who is separated by a distance D2, issimply pointing toward the direction of product J. The users body ortorso can also be tracked, to identify when that specific body or torsohas a limb extending from it, and such limb or extension can be trackedfor the interaction with the products.

Proximity and/or camera detectors can be utilized in various locations,as mentioned above, to detect one specific body parts pass through somebarrier or interact with the product. As shown, shelf interface sensorscan be provided, including sensors 5406, which may be dispersed behindthe products. Overlaps between shelf interfaces that are tracked bysensors and the users proximities of can therefore be used to determinewhen interactions occurring, and attribute that interaction to aspecific user. Again, it should be understood that the sensors describedwith reference to FIG. 54 are only illustrative of some sensors that maybe used. The combination of sensors can be extended substantially, andsuch sensors can be selected for specific regions of the store,depending on the configuration of the product itself. Furthermore,machine learning can be utilized to identify the types of interactionsoccurring relative to specific items, and machine learning can identifywhich ones of the specific sensors should be granted more relevancerelative to others, and promote such features to select specific sensorsin those specific circumstances.

FIG. 54 further shows a network, which may be connected to localprocessing and/or cloud processing. The network may be interfaced withtracking algorithms for tracking users, tracking interaction betweenusers, tracking interactions with items on shelves, tracking walkingpatterns throughout a store, tracking motions, tracking gestures,tracking faces, tracking gays, tracking weight sensors, trackinginteraction between proximity zones, tracking audio sensors, trackingultrasonic sensors, tracking relative motion, tracking browsingpatterns, etc. the network is also connected to the plurality ofsensors, which are distributed throughout the store, as mentioned above.

The sensors can be wired or wireless. As mentioned throughout thisapplication, the sensors may also be defined as WCC devices, which areconfigured to communicate coded communication to an end node, which isthen transferred to the recipient node. In some embodiments, multipleWCC devices may be integrated throughout a store, so as to provideinformation regarding different regions different items and differentinteraction circumstances. In some embodiments, when WCC device can beused to track multiple items on a shelf, and that the WCC device cancommunicate back to a node for processing.

The network may also be provided with access to user accounts of theusers that have been identified as entering or present in the store.Furthermore, the network can be interfaced with gays detect circuitry orprocessing, that is used to identify when specific users are looking atcertain items. Gaze detection can be used to identify when users may belooking at items, but not interacting with them. In other embodiments,gaze detection can be used to determine when a user has picked up anitem and is reading the label.

The gaze detection and face detection algorithms can be used todetermine the type of interaction, faces made by the user when handlinga product, approvals, disapproval's, the mood changes, or present moodsof the user when interacting or looking at specific items of the store.The user profile, as mentioned above, is associated with the useraccount. The user profile can store preferences of the user, historicalinformation for the user, settings for the user, likes and dislikes ofthe user, and other information. Additionally, the user account may belinked to billing systems, to enable the user to be charged for an item,when it is determined or verified that the item has been purchased orhas intended to be purchased by the user. As mentioned above, the usermay intend to purchase an item when the user walks out of an area andinto another area of the store. In another embodiment, the user isbelieved to be intending to purchase an item when the user leaves withthe item.

In another embodiment, the user is believed to have purchased the itemwhen the user walks out the specific doors, areas, or sensors providedby the store. Thus, in some embodiments items added to the electronicshopping cart of the user account will not be charged until the user hasperform an action that is indicative of desiring to purchase the item.In this manner, the user can change his or her mind and leave theproduct back on the store shelf or some other area in the store beforeexiting. As further shown, the network may be connected to the camerasthat may be integrated and dispersed throughout different regions of thestore. User identification can also be processed, to identify attributesof the user or specifically identify who the user is. As mentionedabove, various levels of identification can be used, to identify when auser has selected an item and also decides to purchase an item byleaving a store or leaving an area within the store to confirm acashier-less purchase transaction. User image detection can also be usedto track the movements of the user in the store. The user imagedetection, as mentioned above, can be used to track the limbs of theuser as the user walks around and interfaces with or interacts withspecific items.

In some embodiments, the network may also be provided with access toaudio delivery processing, which can be provided in different locationsin the store to provide audio data to specific users. As mentionedabove, the audio delivery can be provided using audio steering, suchthat specific audio or messages can be delivered to specific users,without having to disperse the sound to all users. This provides for away of steering the sound to the user and providing messages, withoutdisturbing other users. Additionally, this provides for a way ofproviding messages and information or recommendations to users that arecustom to that specific user.

FIG. 55 illustrates an example of store shelves 5104, which may bestacked with different types of products. As noted above, the types ofproducts in the store can vary in terms of their packaging, and somepackages maybe stacked while others may not. Nevertheless, sensors canbe used to determine when specific products are selected by using inputsfrom various sensors. In this example, audio steering is utilized by aspeaker 5504, to deliver specific messages to the user. In thisembodiment, one or more eye gaze detection cameras 5502 are used todetermine when the user is looking at or gazing toward a specificproduct. In this example, the user is gazing 5508 toward a smallerproduct on the top shelf. Because the system determines that the user islooking at that smaller specific product, the audio steering speaker5504 can deliver information regarding that product back to the user. Insome embodiments, the user may be looking at a box of coffee.

However, the user profile or preferences in the user profile know thatthe user prefers a specific brand of coffee that is not the one that theuser is looking at. An algorithm may be processed to determine that thebox of coffee that the user is gazing toward is on sale, and thatinformation can be provided to the user in an audio message. The audiomessage can tell the user that this copy is not coffee he usually buysbut it is a recommended type of coffee that may be on sale. Thus,real-time information can be provided to the user regarding products onthe shelf, which are beneficial to the user in terms of providing moreinformation that is relevant to what the user is looking at or browsing.In some embodiments, the eye gaze detection cameras 5502 can determinethat the user is looking at a specific item, but the users grocery listthat is online does not include that product.

Processing can also determine that the item 1 shelf over does have anitem on his shopping list, and audio steering information can deliverthat information as well. For example, the audio speaker can communicateto the user and inform the user that milk is on his shopping list, andthe milk is located one row over. In some embodiments, the audio datacan be provided to the user by multiple speakers that are activatedsequentially as the user walks down a specific row or area. In thismanner, the audio sound is following the user, and providing informationto the user as he walks around the store. At the same time, the audiodelivery can be provided custom to other users walking around as well.As mentioned above, the network may be connected to the various sensors,cameras, processors, etc., and the network is likewise connected tolocal computing 5510 and/or cloud compute 5512. As mentioned in thisapplication, some processing can be performed locally by specificcomputing elements, such as computing nodes.

In some embodiments, WCC devices can be used to process informationlocally. In some embodiments, information can be shared remotely withone or more processors that are remote from the store, such as one ormore servers. In another embodiment, cloud systems can operate withcompute nodes that are not necessarily refer to as servers, but simplyas compute devices. In either case, any one of these types of computingelements can be utilized and should be understood to be interchangeablyin terms of name or reference. Primarily, it should be understood thatthe processing elements can process information, store information,generate results, and provide output.

FIG. 56 illustrates an example where the user Jack is looking directlyat product A, and gaze detection is performed by one or more cameras5602. In other embodiments, specialized cameras 5610 can be utilized toboth detect presence of items on shelves and also detect gays. In otherembodiments, gaze detection can be performed using image data frommultiple cameras. Still further, in addition to gaze detection, facialdetection can also be used to determine the direction in which the useris looking. As shown, while the user is looking at product A, the systemcan provide custom audio that is audio steered to the user utilizingspeaker 5206. Additionally, the audio provided to the user can be userprofile aware 5606. Furthermore, display screens 5202 can be provideddirectly proximate to the shelf 5104, or right on the shelf to provideinformation regarding the products. This information can be provided ina manner that is user aware. As shown, the display screen 5202 says“Jack, “A” is on your list . . . .”

This means that the system, local compute, cloud computing, WCC compute,or combinations thereof, have identified the user and have also beenprovided with access to certain information about the user. Informationabout the user is, in one embodiment information that the user hasallowed the system to access. For instance, the user may have allowedthe shopping application to access the users calendar, shopping list, orother online information or social information. In this example, thenetwork is shown connected to the various sensors or interfaces providedin the store. The network is connected to local computer, or cloudcompute, or both. User account information can be accessed as well asuser profile information. Shopping lists that may be present orassociated the user profile can also be accessed. The shopping list maybe associated with specific applications that are associated with theuser account. Electronic payment systems can also be linked or associateto the user account. Electronic payment systems will allow charging foritems purchase by the user while in the store or when the user leavesthe store. Electronic payment system can be associated with a bankaccount, credit card, an online credit account, or some other paymentsystem that allows for charging to the user.

FIG. 57 shows a machine learning system in a training phase 5710. Themachine learning model is trained by exposing the machine learningalgorithm 5750 to labeled training data 5720 and 5730. In oneconfiguration, data input during training flows through featureextractor 5740 which builds derived values or features intended to beinformative and non-redundant, facilitating the subsequent learning andgeneralization steps. In one embodiment, the input data to the machinelearning model is too large to be processed efficiently because itcontains redundant data, so it is transformed into a reduced set offeatures through feature selection. The selected features 5760(1 . . .N) contain the relevant information from the input data, so that thedesired task or classification is performed by using this reducedrepresentation instead of the complete initial data.

Feature extraction involves reducing the amount of resources required todescribe a large set of data. When performing analysis of complex dataone of the major problems stems from the number of variables involved.Analysis with a large number of variables generally requires a largeamount of memory and computation power, also it may cause aclassification algorithm to overfit to training samples and generalizepoorly to new samples. Feature extraction is a general term for methodsof constructing combinations of the variables to get around theseproblems while still describing the data with sufficient accuracy.

In one embodiment, an expert constructs a set of application-dependentfeatures through feature engineering. In another embodiment generaldimensionality reductions are applied to the data, including one or moreselected from the group consisting of:

Independent component analysis

Isomap

Kernel PCA

Latent semantic analysis

Partial least squares

Principal component analysis

Multifactor dimensionality reduction

Nonlinear dimensionality reduction

Multilinear Principal Component Analysis

Multilinear subspace learning

Semidefinite embedding

Autoencoder, and;

Deep feature synthesis

Once the machine learning algorithm 5750 is trained in training phase5710 the model may be used for prediction. During test phase or inproduction or operation prediction phase 5796, new input data 5790 isapplied to feature extractor 5780 to extract relevant features 5795 (1 .. . N) which are input to classifier model 5770 which will classify theinput state to a label 5799.

FIG. 58 shows a model may be trained to detect when an item is taken orreturned to a shelf. In one embodiment, during a training of the machinelearning algorithm 5850, training data 5830 demonstrates interactiondata with a take event 5820 or to a return event 5840. In oneembodiment, the training data is labeled as a take or return. Data canbe associated with a time window of data preceding, leading to, into, orthrough the take or return event. After the model is trained, it may beused in production in a prediction phase 5865. In operation, some or alldata 5866 is input to a feature extractor to determine features 5860 (1. . . N) that are input to as classifier model 5875 which produces anoutput label for the input data as that representing either take 5880 orreturn 5890, according to whether the interaction data characterizessensory output representing a shopper taking an item from a shelf orreturning an item from a shelf, respectively.

Several classifiers may be used in connection with several embodimentsof this invention, including but not limited to:

Linear classifiers

Fisher's linear discriminant

Logistic regression

Naive Bayes classifier

Perceptron

Support vector machines

Least squares support vector machines

Quadratic classifiers

Kernel estimation

k-nearest neighbor

Boosting (meta-algorithm)

Decision trees

Random forests

Neural networks

FMM Neural Networks [10]

Learning vector quantization

FIG. 59 shows the machine learning model trained that is trained 5910 tolabel additional shopping behavior as take 5951 and return 5952 events,but also classify whether a shopper has high interest in an item 5954 orwhether there exists a high churn 5953 risk associated with an item. Themachine learning algorithm 5900 is trained based on interaction data5920-5923. In one configuration, in addition to using sensed interactiondata for training the model, other data representing features tied toaccount history are used. It one embodiment, features are engineered toclassify labels both of which may be selected from but not limited tothat listed on the tables of FIG. 60A-B, 6000 and 6001.

FIGS. 60A-60C illustrates example tables, which some possible featuresthat can be processed, in accordance with one or more embodiments.Multiple machine learning models may be used to characterize and trackall relevant activity in a retail outlet. For example, FIG. 60B showsmultiple classifiers and example relationships between classifiers andoutputs. An item manipulation model may identify taken, returned ormisplaced items as well as who manipulated the item. Other relationshipsare shown in FIG. 60B but shown for example and should not be deemed tobe limiting.

Training and operational data may be sourced from a myriad of sources,including cameras, sensor or camera processor, user identificationsystem, item identification system, CNN image classifier, shopping list,purchase history, proximity sensor, weight sensor, database, server,user account, micro-service payload, WCC state or payload, DLC state orpayload, guidance system state, remote contact-less temperature sensors,attention and gaze tracking system, RFID, bar-code scanner, densitysensor, feedback on take or return event labels from any sourceincluding the shopper, another shopper, etc.

Using the a training approach with big data in a supervised orunsupervised manner, a determination with high reliability may be madeas to which shoppers took or returned which items to shelves.

In one embodiment, when confidence of a classifier is low due topotential obstruction of sensor data, corruption of data, misplacementof items on a shelf, etc., or when a failure to correctly classify atake or return event for an item and a customer, the customer hasoptions to provide feedback to correct the failure, and such correctionsmay be used to retrain a machine learning model. Over time, accuratedetermination of taking or returning events can be improved, even inbusy shopping environments, where multiple shoppers manipulate multipleitems within close proximity to a shelf.

Training data for supervised models may include the shopping day andtime, inventory levels and history, shopping list state, and items thatwere previously identified, web history, current incentives, etc.

Sensors that track interaction data may be used for prediction canprofile the foot, shoe, hand, head, face, temperature, voice, cell phonesignature, of the user to determine or track a specific user inconnection with activity in the store. Customers may be provided atemporary device or asset having on or more sensors that enable orenhance the shopping experience, including those constructs described inthis application. A device or asset controlled by the user or under thefull or partial authority of the store, provides feedback to thetracking system monitoring taking and returning items, or with otherinteractions and responses in connection with the shopping event. In oneconstruct, the device provides labeled data associated with shoppingevents, enabling machine learning and deep learning models, for example,to train with labeled data such as the confirmation of a taking orreturning event. In one construct, a smart phone provides features andlabels for training data in connection with the shopping events.

Any of the above sensing means may pertain to a user detected to beapproaching an item or shelf, region of store, predicted or actualmanipulation of an item in a store or progress to a region of interest,product of interest, or the taking or replacement of an item to a shelf.

FIG. 60C shows expansion of the capability of the machine learningclassifier to apply additional labels to characterize the shopper'sbehavior. While the FIGS. 60A and 60B illustrate still moreconfigurations of a classifier and relation to features, FIG. 60C showshow the model may be retrained over time. In particular, as shoppersconfirm purchases either actively or by doing nothing for a period oftime after the item is placed into their electronic cart, an impliedconfirmation is logged. Similarly, when an item is placed into ashoppers cart erroneously, the shopper may provide feedback indicatingthe misplacement error, which is also logged and used as input toretrain the model. Any output label that the machine learning modelclassifies may be confirmed or corrected and logged. This feedback maybe used to reinforce or retrain the model such that it learns fromfeedback, so it correctly can characterize the behavior or determine thecause of the mislabeled characterization.

In the example of FIG. 60C, a machine learning algorithm 6030 is trainedwith data containing sensed interaction data 6003, 6005, 6013, 6015 aswell as account data 60001, 6007, 6011 and state of the guidance system6017. These and the other features are helpful features engineered tocharacterize taking, returning, misplacement, assistance and otherbehavior of the shopper.

It is clear the examples provided here may be modified with thosefeatures, labels or sensed interaction data and account data as outlinedpreviously in this application whether pre-processed or not, and thoserequired data fields necessary for training and retaining one or moremodels to make successful predictions and to characterize a myriad ofshopping behaviors, responses, attitudes, states any of which may belinked to trigger price change, flash sale, issue coupon, message theshopper, message a shopper related in a shopping group, debit anaccount, change status of a shopping list, etc., and, including, but notlimited to, anything else described in this application for which themachine learning models described here may be applied or coupled,completely enabling the same.

The machine learning algorithm and classifier models described hereinmay be part of a machine learning framework or platform that includesAPI for configuration the feature extractor, algorithm and modelsettings. TensorFlow, Keras Caffe, Chainer, cnn, Deparlearn4J, Mxnet,Theano, Torch and the like are examples of such frameworks. The machinelearning algorithms may be of various types and used together orseparately, nested, cascaded or mixed to provide varying levels ofprediction or classification according to a construct. Algorithms may beof deep learning type and adopt deep neural networks, convolutional deepneural networks, deep belief networks and recurrent neural networks andothers. In several embodiments, machine learning algorithms operate insupervised mode while it may also be configured to operate unsupervised,or semi-unsupervised.

In some constructs of machine learning models used herein, multiplelayers are used along with back-propagation, regularization, gridsearch, cross validation, gradient decent techniques to optimize themodel. Optimizers may include but not be limited to Nesterov Method,SGD, EWMA, Momentum, NAG, Adagrad, Adadelta, RMSprop. In someconfigurations, adaptive methods are used to tune model parameters. Inanother embodiment a machine learning framework runs on distributedmachines across a network, to engage in parallel operations.

FIG. 61A illustrates an overhead view of a store, where shopping isenabled and cloud processing is used for interacting with trackers andsensors, which are integrated or associated with the shopping store, inaccordance with one embodiment. As shown, various shelving units aredispersed and oriented within the store, and the location of the variousshelves will depend on the way the store is organized and based on thetype of goods, items, or things that are being sold therein. In oneembodiment, the goods being sold are physical goods, which can bestacked, stored, displayed, placed, aligned, stacked, and generallyprovided for sale within the store.

As shown, a plurality of tracker (T) devices have been orientedthroughout different locations of the store. Some of the trackers can beoriented or associated with walls of the store, shelving units of thestore, flooring locations of the store, ceiling tiles of the store, orgenerally ceiling locations that provide an overhead view or trackableview of items and users, which may be present in the store. In theexample illustrated, various trackers T are shown oriented over ceilinglocations, which are oriented in a way to be able to track persons thatare shopping within the store. The users shopping in the store arelabeled A-H, but without limitation, any number of users can be shoppingin the store at any particular period of time.

Further shown is that some of the users may be walking down the aisles,some of the users may be browsing products stored on the shelves, someof the users may be entering the store, and some of the users may beexiting or leaving the store. In some embodiments, the entry and exitlocations can be provided with special sensors, which can identify whenpersons are leaving the store or entering the store. In someembodiments, passive sensing is utilized, such that users can simplywalk in and walk out, without specifically showing an identifier orlogging into an application. In some embodiments, entering the store mayallow the user to synchronize with an application or wearable device,which can identify the user walking in. In some embodiments, if the userwalks in and is not identified, in indicator in the store may tell theuser to provide identification information. In still other embodiments,the user walking in may scan a code, log into an application on thephone, or interface with the sensors at the entry or exit. In someembodiments, the sensors can be connected to various shelving units, soas to identify when users are walking by, to identify traffic patterns,to identify when users have picked or placed items on shelves, or simplyto provide tracking of users that are walking throughout the store.

In some embodiments, the various sensors integrated in the shelvingunits, structures, flooring, and other locations, as described above,may be also communicating with cloud processing. Cloud processing is thecomputing processing that may be charged with monitoring a specificstore, such as for tracking information, determining if items are beingpurchased, identifying users for providing customized recommendations,charging shopping carts, and the like. As mentioned above, cloudprocessing can also be communicating with local processing of the store.In some embodiments, the processing can be performed by both cloud andlocal processing, depending on the type of transaction, trackingfunction, or interface that's being detected or should be detected basedon learning functions. As used herein, the tracker, which is shownintegrated in various locations of the store, can also be provided inthe form of a sensor.

As mentioned above, there are various types of sensors, which can beoptimized for tracking users, tracking items and shelves, determininginteractions with items and shells by users, and the like. In someembodiments, the tracker can include cameras, which can track movementof users as they walk around the store. Further, trackers can also beprovided with logic for providing audio data that is steered to specificusers, such as to provide information regarding products, sales, orother relevant information usable by the specific users walking ortraversing or browsing within the store. In some embodiments, trackerscan be placed outside of the store, to detect when a specific user maybe approaching the store. Communication with sensors of the user, suchas mobile devices, smart watches, smart glasses, wearable devices, orother detectable signals can be obtained by the trackers, to determinewhen the user is approaching the store.

If logic is provided input regarding users approaching a store, the usercan be provided with feedback, indicative that the user is allowed toshop and the electronics shopping cart is ready to receive selections bythe user. In some embodiments, the external trackers can also identifywhen users have left the store. This can be used as a confirmation, todetermine that the user indeed wishes to purchase an item if the userhas left with an item. By way of example, the external sensors can beplaced on sidewalks, telephone poles, special kiosks, and other placesthat may be proximate to or on the same premises or property of thestore. In other embodiments, where stores are located within shoppingmalls, external trackers can also be placed in public areas, such as todetermine when users are entering and exiting the store.

FIG. 61B illustrates another example, where a side view shows trackersintegrated within ceiling areas of the store, in accordance with oneembodiment. As shown, various users can be shopping different shelvingunits throughout the store. The trackers can be placed such that theyprovide coverage for all areas where users may be traversing. This canprovide for tracking of movement of various users, can also provideimage data of users from an overhead view, identify when users arereaching into store shelves, and also identify when users browse certainstore shelves but do not purchase. Additionally, the overhead views andtracking information can track motion, speed, traversal paths tospecific users, and interactions when in the store. In some embodiments,each specific user can be tracked throughout the store, defining ashopping path.

The shopping path can be defined from when the user enters to when theuser exits. This shopping path can be analyzed and compared to othershopping paths of other users. This information can further be used toidentify similarities in shopping paths; it can also identify whencertain users or groups of users are not browsing certain areas or whencertain products are not being sold. Accordingly, the overhead trackerscan be used to dynamically track and provide useful information to bigdata collections for analyzing and coming up with predictions of userwalking paths, and also provide optimizations for placement of items toincrease sales.

FIG. 61C illustrates an example where users that are shopping inspecific areas, are specifically tracked by certain trackers. In someembodiments, depending on the location of the user relative to thetrackers, multiple trackers can track a single user. As the user movesaround the store, the tracking can then be handed off from one trackerto the next, to ensure proper and full tracking of paths taken by theuser when traversing the store shelves or aisles. Still further, thatdirectional tracking can also be used to provide data back to the user.

Data steering can also be used to provide information back to the user,based on where the user is and the user's activities relative to itemson store shelves. By way of example, the tracker can be providing audiodata, which is audio steered to the user. In some embodiments, multipletrackers can provide audio data, so as to provide stereo type steeringaudio data to the users. In some embodiments, the same tracker canprovide different audio channels to different users, in a directedmanner. By using audio steering, a user can enter a store, walk aroundthe store, and continuously be provided with information relevant towhat the user shopping, looking at, or based on the user's preferences.

In some embodiments, user's preferences in the user accounts canidentify when the user wishes to receive audio data or not receive audiodata. In some embodiments, user preferences can be used to identify whattype of audio data the user wishes to receive when traversing the store.In still other embodiments, users can identify music to be delivered tothe user when the user walks around the store. In some embodiments, theuser can identify customized music playlists that the user wishes tolisten to when traversing the store. The user can also identifypreferences for the types of music to be listened to at different timesof day. For example, if the user wishes to shop on a Saturday, the usermay wish to listen to more lively music. If the user wishes to shop on aMonday night, the user may wish to listen to more tame and relaxingmusic.

FIG. 61D illustrates an example of additional targeting of audio data,steered audio data, propagated information for short range datadelivery, and the like. By way of example, depending on the user's paththrough the store, which is illustrated from time to-t2, different audiodata can be delivered to the user. At the same time, the delivery of theaudio data can be passed along to different transmitters or trackers. Inthis manner, the audio data or digital data delivered to the user can beseamlessly following the user as the user progresses through theshopping experience in the store. In one embodiment, short range radiotransmissions can be provided to wearable devices of the user. By way ofexample, audio messages can be provided or digital messages can beprovided to the user's smart device.

The smart device can be, for example, a smart watch, a smart phone,smart glasses, wearable devices, etc. In some embodiments, if the useris looking for a specific item in the store, the user can communicateback to the sensors/transmitters/trackers, which can then receive therequest from the user and then provide custom information. This custominformation can be in the form of directions to guide the user todifferent locations in the store, to achieve a shopping list or find aspecific item. In another embodiment, the user can communicate back tothe tracker with requests, in the form of Siri requests that can beprocessed by cloud processing. Intelligent information can then bepropagated back to the user in the form of steered audio or audiodelivered to the user's device.

FIG. 62A illustrates an example of a shopping store, where a user hasentered the store with a WCC device, in accordance with one embodiment.In this embodiment, the user may be entering the store with a WCCdevice, which is a small electronic device that has communicationcircuitry for communicating with the trackers and cloud processing, asthe user walks around the store. In this example, the user at time to isshown entering the store with a WCC device. The user may be a youngperson that is not yet able to own or use a smart phone or othersophisticated electronic device. However, the young person may beprovided with a WCC device by his or her parent. The WCC device mayprovide restrictions and/or amount of money that the user can spend inthe store. The restrictions can restrict the user from buying certainitems when in the store, such as no candy, or require the user topurchase certain items like milk.

The user can then enter the shopping area time t1, and the user canbrowse the shopping shelves. As shown, the user has reached for item Dfrom the shelf, while the tracker is tracking the user and tracking theitem. The user holding the WCC device can be used for tracking the useror the user can be tracked separately from the WCC device. In oneembodiment, the WCC device is tracked and paired to the item that hasbeen taken from the shelf, item D. At this point, the item can be addedto the electronic shopping cart of the user. The user can then leave thestore at time t2, with item D in his hand and the WCC device in hand.The tracker itself or a scanner can identify that the WCC device isleaving the store and the user was tracked leaving the store with itemD, which verifies that the item D was purchased and can be charged tothe users account. The users account can be the parent's account, whichgranted access to the WCC device to the young person.

In one embodiment, the WCC device can include a biometric sensor, suchas a fingerprint reader. The fingerprint reader can be used to verifythat the young person indeed was given access to the WCC device. In thismanner, if the young person loses the WCC device, it cannot be used toshop in the store. Furthermore, shopping with the WCC device can alsoidentify when certain items were picked from shelves return to shelvesor actually purchased. By way of example, the parent can receive anotification when the user has successfully purchased item D. The parentcan also receive a notification if the user attempts to purchase thewrong item, such as candy. Thus, the WCC device can be utilized to sendpeople to shop for you for items that you have approved, and for budgetsto have been approved. The functionality provided by the WCC device canalso be performed by a smart device, such as a smart phone, smart watch,or other device.

FIG. 62B illustrates another embodiment of using a WCC device, where WCCdevices are provided for temporary use at a shopping location. In thisexample, a container of WCC devices can be placed in a store for use byshoppers. The use by shoppers can be for a temporary period of time, toenable shopping in the store. For instance, when the user walks into thestore, the user can access one or more temporary tracking devices andpair them to the users account. Pairing to the users account can be doneusing a smart device, such as a smart phone, smart watch, smart glasses,or wearable device. In another embodiment, a separate computer and thestore can be used to allow pairing of the WCC device to the usersaccount.

By way of example, a computer can be placed next to the WCC devices, sothe user could login to the users account and then pair a WCC device tothe account for temporary use. Using the WCC device, the user can enterthe store and be tracked for the shopping experience and allow itemsthat are selected to be added to the electronic shopping cart of theuser. While holding the WCC device in the store, customize informationcan be provided to the user that is being tracked, as described above.

FIG. 62C illustrates another embodiment where a kiosk can be provided inthe store that is not fully cashier-less, but allow some cashier-fewertransactions. For instance, current grocery stores do not allowcashier-less transactions, but in some embodiments they may allowcashier-less transactions if the user were to implement or utilize thetracking device. By way of example, the kiosk can be placed inside ofthe store, where customers can walk up to the kiosk and login to theiruser account. When they log into the user account, a WCC device can bedispensed by the kiosk.

The user can then reach and grab the kiosk and then proceed to shop inthe store utilizing the WCC device. As the user shops in the store,items that are purchased and the person himself is tracked and providedwith customized information for shopping in the store. When walking outof the store, the user can simply deposit the WCC device back into thekiosk for recycling use. In some embodiments, logging into the useraccount can be done utilizing a fingerprint reader of the kiosk. Inanother embodiment, the kiosk can have a camera that can be used todetect the users face, perform face recognition, perform eye retinascans, or other verification processes. In this manner, the WCC devicecan be paired to the user. In some embodiments, the WCC device itselfwill have a fingerprint reader.

The fingerprint reader can be utilized to pair the WCC device to theusers account while the user is holding the WCC device. In someembodiments, a user entering a store that wishes to shop with variouspeople, such as a family, can approach a kiosk and dispense several WCCdevices. For instance, a dad mom and child can walk into a store andregister at the kiosk for WCC devices. Each of mom dad and child canreceive their own WCC device, which is paired to the same account. Inthis manner, the family can disperse throughout the store and select andget items that can then be added to a shopping list. In one embodiment,when the family is done shopping, they can then approach the kiosk andreturn the WCC devices, and be charged for the items collected by eachof the people in the family.

As mentioned above, the WCC device can be utilized for tracking andinterfacing with various sensors in the store. The sensors can includesensors that are integrated in and around shelving units, buildinglocations, and trackers. As mentioned above, the trackers discussedabove can be interchangeably referred to as sensors, as the tracker caninclude sensors, cameras, and other logic for tracking both items andpersons in the store.

In several embodiments a WCC receives spoken language audio sample andforwards it for processing using semantic fingerprint of language. Forexample, a WCC may utilize principals outlined in the Cortical Enginefor Processing Text, developed by Francisco Webber.

For more information related to localization technologies, which mayaugment, complement or provide functionality to at least some aspects ofWCC/IOT device location methods described herein, reference may be madeto any one of the following papers, which are incorporated by reference:(1) Decimeter-Level Localization with a Single WiFi Access Point, byDeepak Vasisht, MIT CSAIL; Swarun Kumar, Carnegie Mellon University;Dina Katabi, MIT CSAIL (2016); (2) SpotFi: Decimeter Level LocalizationUsing WiFi by Manikanta Kotaru, et al., Stanford University, (2015); (3)Accurate Indoor Localization with Zero Start-up Cost, by Swarun Kumar etal. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2014); (4) ArrayTrack: AFine-Grained Indoor Location System by Jie Xiong and Kyle Jamieson,University College London (2013); (5) Phaser: Enabling Phased ArraySignal Processing on Commodity WiFi Access Points by Jon Gjengset etal., Department of Computer Science, University College London (2014).

As previously described herein a thicket of solutions are demonstratedfor novel inter-device connectivity, device provisioning mechanisms toeasily on-board and off-board devices, ways to establish secureoperation, passive, battery-less operation, energy harvesting, tracking,novel applications, a device management ecosystem that fits tocomplement and overlap the evolution of services and products from thelikes of quality providers of tomorrow's IOT infrastructure, includingGoogle Inc., Apple Inc., Microsoft Inc. and Amazon Inc., and more.

However, it should be clear the many examples in the disclosure canenable even simple tasks such as maintain a common, synchronized wake-upand sleep cadence among devices, battery-less devices with buttons thatcan select options and display results from the Internet, enable modessuch as continuous discovery in an ultra-low, passive, battery-lessmanner, provide hybrid energy harvesting combining RF energy harvestingwith additional trigger-based energy harvesting to create passivebattery less devices that can always maintain connectivity with thenetwork but also perform additional tasks that would not be possibleusing RF energy harvesting alone, such as taking photos, videos, takingmicrophone input, producing display output, producing sound output,processing input mic through cloud AI (e.g., artificial intelligence,deep learning, machine learning, etc.) and natural language processingto receive auto output responses, some of which may be enabled inwearable devices, computer terminals, key-fobs etc., that can operatewith or without batteries.

The power sources and supply that are described herein are examples andshould not be limited to the choice of sub types or materials used.Commonly known types of power and the materials and constructs that oneskilled in the art would be capable of assembling in light of theseteachings may also fit into and still reserve the inventive aspects ofthe present disclosure. For instance, a WCC mechanical trigger or pumpcan use any material capable of producing power when manipulated. Orfurther yet, any mechanical trigger or pump may manipulate an industrialdesign to read or produce electrostatic induction, magnetic induction,thermal induction, photovoltaic, chemical induction, or any of the powersupply sources presented in the disclosure. The security trust channelcan be formed in part of the network service outside the LAN or becontained locally within a LAN to facilitate the relay of authenticationrequests and includes one or more devices that act to facilitate theauthentication processes. In certain circumstances, the term WCC mayalso be meant to mean IOT or a DLC device.

Any previous examples and description, including but not limited toswitches, selectors, light switches, door hinges, terminals, arrayedretail product dispensers, tools, etc. that have not been expresslystated to be operable using wireless capability of type Passive Wi-Fi orof type backscatter RF operation, may use Passive Wi-Fi or backscatterRF operation, in whole and in part, optionally, and use the RF energy toread a sensor payload value into WCC logic (i.e. the state of a switch,door, contact, dimmer, state of a knob, potentiometer, and ones that donot require significant power) as well as to synthesize WIFI packettransmission containing the payload.

While Passive WIFI is used in many places through the specification andreference made to 802.11B, it should be understood that any suitablealternative passive wireless scheme that achieves in principal theoutcome of Passive WIFI, whether such outcome achieves a result ofsynthesizing packets on 802.11B channel, on multiple channels, or on anentirely different part of the spectrum shall fall within the scope ofthis disclosure as may be used by WCC. Similarly, any wirelesscommunication technique that may involve multiple field emitters orencodings on the field, or boundary detection between fields, may alsoapply to this scope of disclosure and may be used within the WCC devicesand methods.

The power tool and accessory tracking, safety, and other examples mayuse inductive WCC energy harvesting where the WCC is coupled withinproximity to an AC source within the device, such that the WCC canreceive energy for operation from the AC source. The AC source may betracked to determine the absence or presence of the AC source. Upondetection of a change in status of absence or presence of an AC source,the WCC may change a cycle of its operation, or flow control to adifferent function, cycle, or routine, etc.

As used herein, the term chip may include or be precisely, in whole orpart, a circuit. The circuit can be defined by any number oftechnologies, including semiconductor technologies, nano-technologies,biotechnologies, material technologies, etc.

A WCC may incorporate and operate with several known sensors to deriveharvest energy or sense state, including but not limited to sensorsincluding those that include IMU, magnetometer, ultrasonic transducer,photodetector, PIR or other motion detector, pressure sensor,accelerometer, vibrator, transducer, acoustic, ultrasonic, inertial,chemical/gas, force, leak/level, machine vision, optical, motion,velocity, displacement, position, presence, proximity, pressure,temperature, voltage, current, capacitance, inductance and impedance.

While it has been shown that the present disclosure may utilize an WCCor IOT device capable of harvesting wireless power that is transmittedfrom a transmitter, it should be understood that such transmission maybe indirectly harvested from transmission sources not intended for theharvesting IOT or WCC device or direct from a device that istransmitting for the purpose of directing power to another IOT or WCCdevice or devices. Such transmission sources may take on a variety ofwave shaping to generate an oscillating magnetic field, e.g., a DC powersource is converted into high frequency AC and coupled into a coil inthe transmitter to generate a purposeful magnetic field for reception bya receiver coil, as is known, will induce an AC current in the receivingcoil which may be rectified back to DC in the receiving IOT or WCC.

The term “coil” may be used with or without reference to a core and itshould be understood to one skilled in the art could tune performance insome examples with variations to the placement and configuration of suchcoils and although specific examples are provided it is clear otheralternative choices might be possible to optimize the drive or senseoperation as it pertains to coupling, choice of material, placement andconfiguration for any desired application.

The embodiments can be practiced without one or more of the specificdetails, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In otherinstances, well-known structures or operations may not be shown ordescribed in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the embodiments.

It should also be understood that the present application providesdisclosure related to harvesting energy from a variety of sources andsuch sources should not exclude those expressly meant to purposelywirelessly transmit energy to a WCC or other device, including wheresuch transmissions are triggered upon detecting a proximity to thetransmitter, and where such transmitters are integrated into readysources of power, including AC light switches and power outlets,including transmitters meant for powering WCC devices and where WCCdevices are configured to receive and harvest such energy to power acycle of operation.

The disclosure contains many inventive constructs and it should beunderstood that several of these constructs, methods, and features mayoperate without WCC device present but simply on a network service,operating system, tablet, personal computer or mobile phone. Referencethroughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” orsimilar means that a particular feature, structure or characteristicdescribed in connection with the embodiment is included in at least oneembodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or“in an embodiment” or similar may not necessarily be referring to thesame embodiment.

As noted above, the WCC devices that harvest energy can use varioustypes of circuits. Although simple circuits have been illustrated withreference to FIGS. 1A and IB, it should be understood that various othercircuit conventions, architectures, and devices can be utilized tooptimize the power harvesting, capacitive savings, storage cells,chemical battery cells, or other glue logic associated there with. Insome embodiments, circuitry can run in open or closed loop, includecapacitors, inductors, resisters, tunable components, and other types ofcircuitry that enables for more to mean of the power harvesting based onthe type of input provided to the WCC device.

For more information regarding power harvesting devices, andoptimization processes used to optimize the power harvesting operationsand utilization of power, reference may be made to the followingarticles, which are incorporated by reference herein. One such articleis entitled “A Rectifier-Free Piezoelectric Energy Harvester Circuit,”by Dongwon Kwon et al., of Georga Tech Analog, Power and EnergyResearch. Another article is entitled “Bias-Flip Technique for FrequencyTuning of Piezo-Electric Energy Harvesting Devices”, by Jianying Zhao,et al. published in the Journal of Lower Power Electronics andApplications 2013, 3, 194-214. Again, these articles are incorporated byreference for all purposes. However, it should be understood that thedescription provided in these articles should not be limiting to anyother permutation, modification, optimization, or changes described inthe various implementations disclosing this patent application. However,any number of the techniques described herein associated with powerharvesting can be integrated into any one of the various implementationexamples provided in the description of this application. In someembodiments, some features described above may be omitted, and some maybe replaced by features described in the articles that are incorporatedby reference. The specific features modified, adjusted, combined, willdepend on the specific implementations, which are considered to be partof the described embodiments and implementations covered and envisionedby those skilled in the art after reading the detailed description andfull disclosure associated with this filing.

In some embodiments, in addition to a full wave rectifier circuit (e.g.,with four diodes), it is also possible for a WCC device to include aresonant tank circuit. A resonant tank circuit coupled to a piezo maymaximize capture of energy at the resonant frequency of the tankcircuit. In this configuration, if the resonant frequency of the tankcircuit coupled to the piezo is matched to the resonant frequency of thevibration chamber or the resonant frequency of the piezo itself, thenadditional operating efficiency are obtained. These efficiencies inpower harvesting enable the WCC device to perform more execution ofinstructions and send more data or receive more data via a wireless chipof the WCC device.

It will be obvious, however, to one skilled in the art, that the presentdisclosure may be practiced without some or all of these specificdetails. In other instances, well known process operations have not beendescribed in detail in order not to unnecessarily obscure the presentdisclosure. Further, it should be understood that several embodimentshave been described in relation to specific feature implementations orcombinations. However, it is the intent that multiple combinations,permutations or recombination are possible to define additional specificexample implementations using some or all of the features associatedwith one or more of the example embodiments. The figures have beenprovided to illustrate specific example uses, circuits, communication,logic, circuits, mechanical features, power supplies, power pumps,energy harvesting, buttons, housings, shapes, integration with otherphysical objects.

However, it should be understood that individual features used to definethose specific examples may be recombined to define other examples. Forinstance, some devices may use energy harvesting and can provide forcommunication via wireless chips and processing via specializedmicrocontrollers or general controllers. The energy harvesting feature,however, may be replaced with a standard power supply, e.g., such as abattery, or power provided from an outlet, or power provided from amotor of a device, or power stored for transitory periods of time (e.g.,storage capacitors), and the like. As such, it should be understood thatthe WCC devices described herein are not limited to energy harvestingmodels, e.g., those having a power pump, but are equally usable withstandard power storing cells, e.g., such as batteries. In some cases,the batteries are rechargeable. The rechargeable batteries may becharged using a standard power outlet or may be charged from a solarcell or may be charged by harvesting RF power wirelessly.

With the above in mind, it should further be understood that the methodoperations and processes executed with, in connection with, or on a WCCdevice can produce data. The data, in one embodiment can be stored tostorage of the WCC device or a device interfaces with the WCC devicelocally. In other embodiments, the WCC device will include a wirelesscommunication device that is configured to transfer the data wirelesslyto a processing node. The data transferred, in one embodiment, ispre-processed by logic of the WCC device. In other embodiments, the datais raw data that is transferred to the end node for further processing.As noted above, the end node may be a server or some other device thathas processing power to execute instructions. The instructions can bepredefined, such that the end node knows what to do with the data. Thedata can, in one configuration, simply be saved to a database or file.In other embodiments, the data is communicated to some other device. Instill other embodiments, the data is processed, e.g., such as to runanalytics and data metrics analysis. The data metrics can be publishedor saved to a website or server. The data can then be accessed by anydevice having a network connection, e.g., provided the device has accessor is granted access via a user account or the like.

Broadly speaking, example types of wireless networks usable by WCCdevices is extensive, so long as signal data can be wirelesslytransmitted initially without a wire or in a phantom pseudo capacity aspreviously discussed. Once payload or wireless data is sent to a node,the node may be wired or not. For instance, the WCC device cancommunicate wirelessly to a Wi-Fi Router, which is connected by wire toa router. In some embodiments, the WCC device can communicate wirelesslyto one or more nodes until the signal reaches the end node. The end nodemay be part of a network or connected to the network. In one embodiment,the end node may be a server, a computer, a mobile device, a datacenter, chord overlay network, a server cluster, a processing machine, avirtual machine, or some other logic that can process the data output bythe WCC device.

In some embodiments, the network maybe part of the Internet or cancommunicate with the Internet. In further embodiments, users of devices,e.g., computers, tablets, phones, watches, desktops, terminals, etc.,can log into a server or end node, and request to view, access,interface with, change, modify, or respond to data collected from thetransmitting WCC devices. In the various embodiments, WCC devices can beowned by users with specific user accounts. The users can own one ormore WCC devices and the data from each can be accessed. In furtherembodiments, one owner with a single user account can assign multipleWCC devices to multiple people or assign them to multiple physicalobjects. The data received from the users can then be saved, compared,processed, and generated to produce metric data from the multiple WCCdevices.

The following are some examples, without limitation to other wired orwireless networks (both of which may be used for parts of thecommunication between the WCC device and an end node). The followingexamples relate to example networks and/or protocols usable by WCCdevices for at least part of a communication path to an end node ormultiple end nodes. For instance, a WCC device may be designed tocommunication its data, state, change in state, information, message orgenerally data information with multiple end nodes.

Some examples of wireless connections or networks include, for example,microwave communication networks, satellite communication networks,cellular communication networks, radio communication networks, frequencyhopping networks, spread spectrum networks, 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, wirelesspersonal area networks (WPAN), Bluetooth links or networks, Bluetoothlow energy (LE) links or networks, Wi-Fi-Aware networks, infrarednetworks, ZigBee networks, near field communication (NFC) links ornetworks, Wi-Fi PAN networks, Wi-Fi links or networks, Wireless LANnetworks, wireless mesh networks (e.g., with noderepeating/forwarding/routing), wireless metropolitan area networks,WiMAX networks, Cellular based networks (e.g., that utilize cell towersand base stations and cell sites), global system for mobilecommunication (GSM) networks, personal communication service (PCS)networks, global area networks (GAN), space networks, wireless accesspoints for network connections, wireless ad hoc networks (WANET),peer-to-peer networks, Wi-Fi Array networks, Wi-Fi direct networks,smart phone Ad hoc networks (SPANs), Internet based mobile ad hocnetworks (iMANETs),

In one embodiment a cashier-less retail store is provided withjust-in-time pre-fetching of items from a shopping list comprising aprocessor that identifies a shopper and accesses an account associatedwith the shopper to retrieve an electronic shopping list for the shopperin advance of the shopper entering the store, one or more workers in thestore who fetch items from the shopping list resulting in removal ofeach fetched items from the shopping list, an in-store tracker thatidentifies the shopper in the store. A delivery system consisting of ahuman or autonomous or self-driving cart that meets the shopper in thestore is provided, to deliver the pre-fetched items. The store thattrack the items that are taken or removed from shelves by the shopperand the shopping list is automatically adjusted. Similarly, the storemay track the items that are taken or removed from the pre-fetched bagand the shopping list automatically adjusted to account for a statuschange of the list.

In one embodiment a cashier-less retail store is provided with anin-store tracker that identifies two shoppers in the store that arelinked to one account or predicted to be linked to one account. Thestore tracks the items that are taken or removed from shelves by bothshoppers. As items are taken by the shoppers they are accounted forunder-one account. As items are removed or returned to the shelves byeither shopper, the account is adjusted. The group of shoppers may beclustered into a group associated with a single list and the storetracks the take and returns of items to shelves and the removal of itemsfrom the shopping list as they items are gathered by individual membersof the group.

In one embodiment, a retail outlet comprising a guidance system steersshopper to items of interest using parametric audio that is sent in abeam steered to the user's body as they traverse the store. In oneembodiment, a retail outlet comprising a shopper tracker that keepstrack of the shopper location in the store and a remote microphone thatis steered to pick-up the voice of the shopper as they traverse thestore.

In one embodiment, a retail outlet comprising shopper tracker that keepstrack of the shopper location in the store and a remote microphone thatis steered to pick-up the voice of the shopper as they traverse thestore, and a guidance system coupled to the output of a natural languagemodel that accepts the spoken audio and that provides intelligentresponses to words spoken by the shopper.

In one embodiment, a retail store is provided where a user asks forguidance using natural language and responses are sent to phone or sentover speakers and the response guides a shopper to items of interest andcauses assets in the store such as visual indicators to identify orguide the attention of the shopper. In another embodiment the responseis delivered using parametric audio that is sent in a beam steered tothe user's body as they traverse the store.

In one embodiment a neural turning machine is used to perform tasksassociated with a WCC device and a gradient clipping may be used tolimit training speed of parameters. In some embodiments, when training amachine learning model, the data fed from a WCC into the model is firstfed into the model in short sequences until the loss hits a target, andthe size of the input data can be increased. In some embodiments DynamicNeural Computers that allocate and deallocate memory and remembersrecent memory use is used. In one embodiment a recommender system usesnon-parametric models (LSTMs) to capture the hidden states of both theuser and the items in a retail store.

In one embodiment an item recommender may also use parametric modelsinvolving Markcov Clustering, Topics and Kalman filter along with timedependent variable that captures an aspect of the internal state of theuser. Temperal sequence of observations including watching items on ashelf, purchases, likes, app use, hold time for an item, etc. Clustersmay include store navigation and time in connection with items ofinterest, information queries on items. Topics may be determined basedon interest distribution of users over time. Kalman filtering applied totrajectory and location modelling. Non-parametric models and spectralmethods may be used to capture the internal state of a user. Latentstate may characterize behavior using plain deep recurrent neuralnetwork or deep network with attention using LSTM/GRU which learns whento update state.

In several embodiments a recommender system uses an LSTM to model theuser and another LSTM to model the item and the output of the models arecombined. In several embodiments of machine learning model used in aretail store a mix of external features along with internal user statedfeatures and attributes are fed into a hidden state and use recurrentlatent variable model. In several embodiments here, many small modelsare used for ranking items that may be of interest to a shopper insteadof a monolithic model. In some embodiments herein, intelligent repliesto detected scenarios characterized by incoming feature data use asequence to sequence model under a fully data driven framework todetermine a specific reply. In some embodiments, decision trees andrandom forests are used in machine learning models.

In some embodiments that utilize natural language processing, a pipelineof spoken dialog systems is used that consist of a natural languageunderstanding component, state tracker component, policy managercomponent and natural language generation component. The policy manageris trained using a deep reinforcement learning framework.

Embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced with variouscomputer system configurations including hand-held devices,microprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumerelectronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers and the like. Thedisclosure can also be practiced in distributed computing environmentswhere tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linkedthrough a wire-based or wireless network.

With the above embodiments in mind, it should be understood that thedisclosure could employ various computer-implemented operationsinvolving data stored in computer systems. These operations are thoserequiring physical manipulation of physical quantities. Usually, thoughnot necessarily, these quantities take the form of electrical ormagnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined,compared and otherwise manipulated.

Any of the operations described herein that form part of the disclosureare useful machine operations. The disclosure also relates to a deviceor an apparatus for performing these operations. The apparatus can bespecially constructed for the required purpose, or the apparatus can bea general-purpose computer selectively activated or configured by acomputer program stored in the computer. The apparatus may be housedwith insulated housing to limit the volume of sound that may occur insome embodiments during an activation cycle. In particular, variousgeneral-purpose machines can be used with computer programs written inaccordance with the teachings herein, or it may be more convenient toconstruct a more specialized apparatus to perform the requiredoperations.

The disclosure can also be embodied as computer readable code on acomputer readable medium. The computer readable medium is any datastorage device that can store data, which can thereafter be read by acomputer system. The computer readable medium can also be distributedover a network-coupled computer system so that the computer readablecode is stored and executed in a distributed fashion.

Although the foregoing disclosure has been described in some detail forpurposes of clarity of understanding, it will be apparent that certainchanges and modifications can be practiced within the scope of theappended claims. Accordingly, the present embodiments are to beconsidered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the disclosure isnot to be limited to the details given herein, but may be modifiedwithin the scope and equivalents of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for processing requests for items to bepre-gathered from a store, the processing of the requests is executedusing one or more processing entities, the method comprising: receivingtracking data from portable device associated with a user having anonline account with the store, wherein one or more items are identifiedfrom a shopping list of the user as associated with the online accountof the store; processing the tracking data to determine a current routeof the portable device to the store; sending instructions to create atask for pre-gathering one or more items from the store, the sending ofinstructions being triggered in response to confirming that the currentroute of the portable device remains headed to the store; receiving anindicator that the one or more items from the store have been gathered;and sending a notification to the online account of the user that apackage of said one or more items from the store that were ordered havebeen gathered and are ready for pickup at the store; wherein processingof tracking data includes accessing a deep learning model using featureinput of at least user location and shopping history, where the featureinput includes time-based actions characterizing previous user shoppinghistory and global positioning system data enabled by the user to allowidentification of a location of the user based on location data receivedfrom the portable device.
 2. A method of claim 1 wherein the currentroute of the portable device is an actual or predicted path in which theuser is expected to travel from one location to a location of the store,wherein the predicted path is determined using global positioning system(GPS) dead reckoning or GPS and machine learning to classify that thecurrent route of the portable device of the user remains headed to thestore.
 3. The method of claim 1 wherein the instructions to create thetask for pre-gathering the items includes an identification of itemsfrom the shopping list and a time frame in which the user is expected toenter the store or in which the user will receive one or more of saiditems after entering the store.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein anitem that is pre-gathered or scheduled to be pre-gathered is removedfrom the shopping list or identified on the shopping list as beinggathered.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein a trigger in sending ofinstructions is made based on (A) a calculation of expected timerequired to gather one or more of the items, and (B) a forecasted futuretime in which the user will either arrive at the store or require theone or more items to be ready for pickup_.
 6. The method of claim 1,wherein the user remains headed to the store if the current route basedon received and processed global positioning system (GPS) data of theportable device is on a course headed to the store and at least oneprocessing entity associated with the store has not otherwise receiveddata indicating that the user is not planning to visit or not likely tovisit or plans to visit the store at a different time.
 7. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the indicator is a payload, or a signal or anotification on the portable device or a device of the user that isassociated with the user account, or is output on an in-store device oroutput by the store stating that one or more items are ready for pickup.8. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicator is a state received byat least one of said processing entities in connection with a status ofthe task and a description of one or more items that have been gatheredfrom the shopping list.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the indicatoris an actual receipt of the pre-gathered items.
 10. The method of claim1, wherein items ready for pickup are identified for collection when theuser enters the store, or after having arrived at the store, or prior toexiting the store.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the items that areready for pickup are assigned for delivery to the user upon entering thestore, or after having arrived at the store, or prior to exiting thestore.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the items that arepre-gathered are ones pre-designated on the user's shopping list, or area subset of ones on the user's shopping list or are identified assuitable items for the user to purchase in connection with analyzing theuser shopping list or user shopping history or data from at least oneprocessing entity capable of keeping track of a consumption or use ofitems associated with the user.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein theuser remains headed to the store based on receipt of data from theportable device of the user or a processing entity associated with theuser indicating confirmation or prediction that the user remains headedto the store or intends to head to the store.
 14. The method of claim 1,wherein at least one or more of the said identified item or items on theshopping list are automatically identified by a deep learning model thatpredicts that one or more items are likely to be purchased by the user.15. The method of claim 1, wherein the store is further configured withtracking sensors, said tracking sensors being in communication with atleast one of said processing entities for monitoring interaction databetween the user and one or more items in the store, said one or moreprocessing entities examining the interaction data to determine if theuser has taken an item that was already pre-gathered, and, if theprocessing entity determines the user has taken the item that wasalready pre-gathered, sending a guidance message to the portable deviceof the user, or to a store speaker, or to a display, or to a store assetproximate the user.
 16. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said oneor more processing entities is defined by a computer, or a server, or aLambda function process, or a function, or a process, or a service, or acontainer, or a container process, or a cloud processing system, or asmartphone, or a tablet, or a laptop, or a smart device, or a smartwatch, or an internet of things (IOT) device, or a smart watch, or arouter, or an access point, or a repeater, or a vehicle, or a camera, ora weight sensor, or an appliance, or lighting equipment, or a switch, ora container application, or an application, or a wireless codedcommunication (WCC) device, or a state machine, or by a statelessservice, or a combination of two or more thereof, wherein each one ofsaid one or more processing entities is coupled to or interconnected toa network that provides access to storage, data, or instructions. 17.The method of claim 1, wherein confirming that the current route of theportable device remains headed to the store includes receivinginformation from the user account, as provided by the user, that theuser is headed to the store at a particular time or is currently headedto the store.
 18. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable deviceassociated with the user is one of a plurality of portable devices ofthe user, each or a collection of two or more of the plurality ofportable devices being trackable by said processing to determine thecurrent route to the store and said sending of instructions to createthe task for pre-gathering.
 19. A method for processing requests foritems to be pre-gathered from a store, the processing of the requests isexecuted using one or more processing entities, the method comprising:receiving tracking data from portable device associated with a userhaving an online account with the store, wherein one or more items areidentified from a shopping list of the user as associated with theonline account of the store; processing the tracking data to determine acurrent route of the portable device to the store; sending instructionsto create a task for pre-gathering one or more items from the store, thesending of instructions being triggered in response to confirming thatthe current route of the portable device remains headed to the store;receiving an indicator that the one or more items from the store havebeen gathered; and sending a notification to the online account of theuser that a package of said one or more items from the store that wereordered have been gathered and are ready for pickup at the store;wherein the items that are ready for pickup are assigned for delivery tothe user upon entering the store, or after having arrived at the store,or prior to exiting the store; wherein the store is further configuredwith tracking sensors, said tracking sensors being in communication withat least one of said processing entities for monitoring a location ofthe user in the store, wherein at least one of said processing entitiessends a wireless message containing a payload to a device in the storeoperated by a clerk in the store indicating a location of the user inthe store, wherein the package of said one or more items from the storethat were ordered and gathered are delivered to the user by the clerk ata current location of the user in the store.
 20. A method for processingrequests for items to be pre-gathered from a store, the processing ofthe requests is executed using one or more processing entities, themethod comprising: receiving tracking data from portable deviceassociated with a user having an online account with the store, whereinone or more items are identified from a shopping list of the user asassociated with the online account of the store; processing the trackingdata to determine a current route of the portable device to the store;sending instructions to create a task for pre-gathering one or moreitems from the store, the sending of instructions being triggered inresponse to confirming that the current route of the portable deviceremains headed to the store; receiving an indicator that the one or moreitems from the store have been gathered; and sending a notification tothe online account of the user that a package of said one or more itemsfrom the store that were ordered have been gathered and are ready forpickup at the store; wherein the items that are ready for pickup areassigned for delivery to the user upon entering the store, or afterhaving arrived at the store, or prior to exiting the store; wherein thestore is further configured with tracking sensors, said tracking sensorsbeing in communication with at least one of said processing entities formonitoring a location of the user in the store, wherein at least one ofsaid processing entities provide the location of the user in the storeto a robot, said robot having coupled thereto a package of said one ormore items from the store that were ordered and gathered, where saidrobot delivers the items to a current location of the user in the store.21. A method for processing requests for items to be pre-gathered from astore, the processing of the requests is executed using one or moreprocessing entities, the method comprising: receiving tracking data fromportable device associated with a user having an online account with thestore, wherein one or more items are identified from a shopping list ofthe user as associated with the online account of the store; processingthe tracking data to determine a current route of the portable device tothe store; sending instructions to create a task for pre-gathering oneor more items from the store, the sending of instructions beingtriggered in response to confirming that the current route of theportable device remains headed to the store; receiving an indicator thatthe one or more items from the store have been gathered; and sending anotification to the online account of the user that a package of saidone or more items from the store that were ordered have been gatheredand are ready for pickup at the store; wherein the store is furtherconfigured with tracking sensors, said tracking sensors being incommunication with at least one of said processing entities formonitoring a changing location of the user inside the store as wellprocessing interaction data as input features to a machine learningmodel processed by at least one of said processing entities to classifyan action of the user taking a specific item off a shelf, said at leastone of said processing entities also access the user account to selectadditional items that have not been detected to have been taken by theuser, said additional items are pre-gathered for the user, selection ofitems being based in part on a path of the user in the store.
 22. Themethod of claim 21 wherein the selection of items to be pre-gathered isbased on said path the user is moving through the store, a timeallocation the user has in the store, or a preference of the user, or apromotion of the store.
 23. A method for processing requests for itemsto be pre-gathered from a store, the processing of the requests isexecuted using one or more processing entities, the method comprising:receiving tracking data from portable device associated with a userhaving an online account with the store, wherein one or more items areidentified from a shopping list of the user as associated with theonline account of the store; processing the tracking data to determine acurrent route of the portable device to the store; sending instructionsto create a task for pre-gathering one or more items from the store, thesending of instructions being triggered in response to confirming thatthe current route of the portable device remains headed to the store;receiving an indicator that the one or more items from the store havebeen gathered; and sending a notification to the online account of theuser that a package of said one or more items from the store that wereordered have been gathered and are ready for pickup at the store;wherein the store is further configured with tracking sensors, saidtracking sensors being in communication with at least one of saidprocessing entities for monitoring a changing location of the userinside the store and providing navigation guidance to an asset in thestore or to the portable device of the user, said guidance aiding theuser in traversing through the store along a navigation path throughaisles isles that contain one or more items on the shopping list of theuser account, said at least one of said processing entities furtheraccessing the user account to select additional items that will bepre-gathered for the user, the selection of items being based in part ona path the user moves within the store, or location of other users inthe store, or on an amount of time.